News from Cryolife

Asian’s Godfather of Cord Blood, Professor Takahashi Tsuneo Joined the “Cryolife Cord Blood Bank” and “Hong Kong Medisun”

In May 2017, CRYOLIFE Cord Blood Bank (Hong Kong Medisun Medical Group members) formally appointed the Godfather of Cord Blood in Asia, Japanese regenerative medicine expert Professor Takahashi Tsuneo as the Chief Scientist. Professor Takahashi will lead all the cord blood stem cell research projects. Professor Takahashi has eras of experience in the field of regenerative medicine. In the past few decades, Professor Takahashi has established the standards of the Cryo-Cord Blood in Asia and lead a new prospective in the application and development of the cord blood industry.

It is well believes that by the joining of Professor Takahashi will convey a new development stage in the field of cord blood stem cells in Hong Kong. It will bring new opportunities for the expansion of Medisun Medical Group and the Cryolife Cord Blood Bank.

Professor Takahashi Tsuneo is committed to the field of regenerative medicine for more than 40 years (mainly in the field of stem cells and cord blood bank). Currently he serves as Chief Executive Officer of Japan LIFEBANK and Chief Scientist of Hong Kong Cryolife Cord Blood Bank (Cryolife is a members of the Medisun Group). Prof. Takashi Tsuneo graduated from the Hokkaido University in Sapporo, Japan with a Ph.D. degree. He became the scientist in the Red Cross of Bethesda, Maryland. He later worked at the Research center for Arthritis, Diabetes and Kidney diseases of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Professor Takahashi Tsuneo returned to Japan, became the Red Cross Hokkaido Blood Center’s Research Director in Sapporo. Professor Takahashi is not only a founding member of the International Cord Blood Bank Alliance (NETCORD), but also Director of the Tokyo Cord Blood Bank Cell Treatment Center at the University of Tokyo, Japan, and Director of Cellular Research and Development for research center for cell therapy in New York. Professor Takahashi is a Visiting Professor at a number of well-known institutions, including: Department of Cellular Processing, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Tokyo, Head of Hematology, Tokyo University Hospital, Head of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Kyoto University, Kobe University Institute of Medicine and Pathology, and Department of Medicine, Peking University, China.

Application of Cord Blood

Cord blood is originated in the fetus, and collected at the umbilical cord ligation when separated from the residual placenta. Nearly a decade of research and discovered that umbilical cord blood contain the human hematopoietic and the hematopoietic stem cells of the immune system. It can be used for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, for the treatment of more than 80 kinds of diseases. Thus, the cord blood has become an important source of hematopoietic stem cells, especially for no directly related family members. The hematopoietic stem cells is a very important human biological for treatment of diseases.

Worldwide, cord blood has been used to treat various types of Leukemia, Aplastic Anemia, Lymphoma, Multiple Myeloma, Neuroblastoma, Mucopolysaccharide disease, Thalassemia, Bone Marrow Dysplasia syndrome, Primary Immunodeficiency Disease, Chronic Granuloma and other 80 kinds of diseases.

Clinical application case

* The world’s first cord blood transplantation: In 1988, a 5-year-old French boy, suffering from Cooley’s Anemia has been treated with the cord blood transplantation and with completely recovered.
* The world’s first autologous cord blood transplantation: In 1997, a 14-month-old Brazilian girl, with autologous cord blood successfully cured Neuroblastoma.
* The world’s first double dosages of cord blood transplantation: In 2000, the Institute of Hematology of the Peking University used the world’s first double dose of cord blood transplantation for the treatment of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia with good result. Now, the patient weight of 95 kg, is having a healthy life.
* Asia’s first autologous cord blood transplantation: In 2009, Beijing Children’s Hospital, a pediatric patient using his own cord blood for the treatment of Neuroblastoma. This is the first case of autologous cord blood treatment for pediatric case. The baby is treated and being fine after the transplantation.
* China treated a youngest and light weight baby: In 2009, Shanghai Dao Pei Hospital has successfully treated a 2 months old baby only weight – 5 kg, by using the cord blood transplantation treatment for Primary Immunodeficiency Disease.
* In China, the first mother received the son’s cord blood transplantation as treatment: In 2009, Chongqing Xinqiao Hospital, a female patient suffering from an Acute Non-Lymphocytic Leukemia was treated by using her son’s umbilical cord blood, together with his husband’s bone marrow for transplantation. She was discharged from the Intensive Care Unit after one month from the transplantation. This is the first case of mother using her child’s cord blood for transplantation.

Treatment prospects

Cell therapy has been a biological way for the treatment of a number of diseases in the 21st century. At the end of May 2014, the worldwide of related clinical research on the cord blood cell therapy, registered with the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH) reached a total of 928.

CRYOLIFE Cord Blood Bank – Hong Kong’s first private cord blood bank

CRYOLIFE Cord Blood Bank is the only one in Hong Kong with the most international professional certification, and is highly recommended by gynecologist, physicians and parents. CRYOLIFE was established in 1996 to create the first private cord blood storage program in Asia. Prior to the establishment of the cord blood bank in Japan, Singapore, mainland China, Taiwan and Malaysia. Cryolife upgrades the standards in the development and research in the laboratory equipment. It is the leader in Hong Kong and Asian in the cord blood industry. CRYOLIFE has been recognized by the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) since 2007 as one of the world’s first recognized AABB-approved cord blood banks, and range the first 50 in the Cord Blood Bank’s list. Continuous assessment were done in 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015 and has successfully passed the review, and gain the AABB certification until the end of 2017. The company is the only one in Hong Kong which has obtained a 10 consecutive years’ certification in the private cord blood bank. (In February 2017) Hong Kong Medisun Medical Group acquired 51% stake in CRYOLIFE Cord Blood Bank as its controlling shareholder.)

MEDISUN MEDICAL GROUP

Headquartered in Hong Kong, Headquartered in Hong Kong, the company is committed to investing in R & D and commercialization of global regenerative medicine products, as well as professional medical investment groups in top hospitals and treatment centers.

Medisun invests extensively in regenerative medicine and stem cell patented technology, including stem cell therapy for heart failure, stem cell therapy for liver disease, kidney disease, neurological diseases, cancer, AIDS, and immune cell therapy for a variety of cancers. Medisun Medical and the US Mayo Clinic, Harvard University Stem Cell Research Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Life Science Center launched a long-term cooperation program, co-investment in regenerative medicine and stem cell therapy technology. Medisun collaborates with them as the business owned holdings and holds global intellectual property rights.

The Medisun Regenerative Medical Center is located in Kowloon, Hong Kong , with 50,000 square feet of stem cell GMP production base, cancer treatment center and anti-aging center, bringing together European, Japanese, American and individual Chinese experts for rigorous professional development process by providing immune cell therapy and a variety of stem cell treatments. Medisun is also the Asian Center, a representative of the Mayo Clinic Asia service agencies. It provides Mayo remote consultation, the second diagnosis and treatment, so that Chinese patients can not enjoy the authority of the medical services. Mayo Clinic provides more than three thousand biomedical tests for the most predictable health protection for our customers’ health.

Medisun Regenerative Medicine Center (Mayo Asia Medical Service Center | Cancer Treatment Center | Anti-Aging Center)

Medisun Medical Laboratory (Hong Kong)

Source : http://www.medisun.hk/