The Experimental Haematology Lab and Stem Cell Engineering Research Centre are part of a 350-bed hospital focusing on the treatment of blood diseases in Tianjin. The laboratories have a broad research focus ranging from gene therapy to drug treatments for leukaemias/lymphomas and cell transplantation. As well as standard transfusions, they also have studies under way to treat spinal injury with specific cell populations derived from cord blood. In total,they have submitted about 20 patent applications based on the studies at the
Institute.

Within the Institute, the Stem Cell Engineering Research Centre (established in
May 2002) focuses on haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), normal/leukaemic stem cell biology and novel stem cell growth factors. Already, in collaboration with the centre’s affiliated hospitals, about 300 cases of HSC and MSC transplantation studies for non-leukaemic disorders have been conducted. Specific indications include patients with iabetic limb ischaemia, patients with Buerger’s disease (inflammatory disease of the small and medium sized arteries and veins of the extremities), and others with arteriosclerosis.

Professor Zhong Chao Han (Head of the Stem Cell Centre) described how his laboratory recently identified hemangiopoietin (HAPO), a novel growth factor that mediates proliferation of CD34+/CD133+ bone marrow cells into both haematopoietic and endothelial cell lineages (Blood 103 4449-4456). HAPO was identified using a bioassay designed to find proteins able to stimulate proliferation of haematopoietic stem/progenitor cells and endothelial cells. HAPO may have a clinical potential in the treatment of cytopenias and radiation injury, and in the expansion of haematopoietic and endothelial stem/progenitor cells for cell transplantation.

A patent application covering the use of HAPO has been filed. Han discussed in more detail how MSC grafts induce neovascular growth which in turn helps prevent tissue atrophy (such as those observed in the diabetic limb ischemia patients). Data showing initial preclinical studies performed in sheep and murine models showed increased vascular growth to the site of local grafts in the lower extremities.

For patient studies, the basic clinical methodology includes mobilisation of bone marrow stem cells by GCSF administration, blood extraction, and subsequent injection of CD133+ cells into the affected limbs.

Currently, another important area of research is to determine whether injection of these cells into the heart promotes cardiac neovascularisation following an infarction. Alternative rategies for cell transplantation are to derive CD133+ cells from hES cells and use these to stimulate eovascular growth, or to derive and use foetal-restricted progenitor (flk1+ CD34- CD44+) cells from skin, lung, heart, liver, CNS. Currently, the foetal derived cells are being used in SCID/NUDE mice to evaluate potential therapeutic strategies.

Professor Han’s group collaborates with a number of scientists across the globe, from rofessor Caen’s haematology group in Paris to Professor Dave Scadden at Massachusetts General ospital, Boston (haematopoietic stem cells), Tokyo University and Cambridge University.

The commercial potential of cord blood stem cells identified by this institute is being exploited by Union Stem Cell & Gene Engineering Co Ltd (see Section 4.4.2).

The above information is based on a DTI Global Mission Report from September 2004. The China Stem Cell News Team will try and meet with Professor Zhong and his team to get an update on their status.