Founded in 2003, the Institute of Cell Therapy for 19 years has been a leader on the national market of umbilical cord blood and perinatal tissues (umbilical cord, placenta) cryostorage as well as in the field of regenerative cell therapy. Today, the Institute of Cell Therapy is one of the largest biobanks in Europe and the main supplier of biomaterial and other cell and tissue preparations to state medical institutions of Ukraine within clinical trials under the auspices of the Coordination Center for Organ, Tissue and Cell Transplantation of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.
The past year was fruitful for the Institute of Cell Therapy too, so we bring to your attention the main achievements of our team in 2021.
- For the first time in Ukraine, a “Kit for the collection and transportation of human biological material” was developed and registered by the Ministry of Health
The safety and therapeutic efficacy of umbilical cord blood and placenta directly depends not only on the method of their manufacturing, but also the conditions of collection in the delivery room and transportation. In 2021, for the first time in Ukraine, the Institute of Cell Therapy developed a “Kit for the collection and transportation of human biological material”, which was registered by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. The container is designed to protect the biomaterial from mechanical damage and ensure the required temperature throughout the transportation period. The temperature recorder carries out continuous fixing of temperature, and the balanced content of anticoagulant allows to keep valuable biological properties of umbilical cord blood for a long time.
- Summarizing the first results of a clinical trial on the treatment of COVID-19 using multipotent placental stem cells
Accepting today’s medical challenges, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Institute of Cell Therapy has developed a treatment for coronavirus COVID-19 pneumonia using placental and umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells. Yet in 2020, the Institute of Cell Therapy was granted permission by the Coordination Center for Organ, Tissues and Cells Transplantation of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine for a clinical trial in cooperation with the Kyiv City Clinical Hospital №4. In 2021, the first results of this clinical trial were officially summed up. Cell therapy has been shown to increase the effectiveness of treatment and prevent pulmonary fibrosis in severe forms of COVID-19.
- ICT scientist was awarded the National Prize of Ukraine named after Borys Paton
According to the decree of the President of Ukraine №660 / 221, Deputy Director of the Institute of Cell Therapy Cryobank, Dr. Volodymyr Shablii, Ph.D. was awarded the Borys Paton National Prize of Ukraine for his work “Innovative methods of using stem cells and bioengineering technologies in regenerative medicine.” The work was performed in co-authorship with leading scientists of Ukraine, the staff of the Shalimov National Institute of Surgery and Transplantology, Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics, Institute of Genetic and Regenerative Medicine, Amosov National Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery, Bogomolets National Medical University, Chernivtsi Regional Clinical Hospital.
- International recognition of the method of infectious and neurotrophic keratitis treatment
Specialists of the Institute of Cell Therapy (Kyiv) in cooperation with the scientists of the Filatov Institute of Ophthalmology and Tissue Therapy (Odessa) developed a method of surgical treatment of keratitis of infectious and neurotrophic etiology using the amniotic membrane of the placenta. The well-known international organization ParentsGuidetoCordBlood, which promotes awareness of future parents and medical staff about the value of umbilical cord blood and placenta, recognized the method of treatment of keratitis (inflammation of the cornea) developed by the Institute of Cell Therapy using the amniotic membrane of the placenta. ParentsGuidetoCordBlood also published on its website a scientific article by the team of authors of the Filatov Institute of Ophthalmology and Tissue Therapy and the Institute of Cell Therapy.
- Summarizing the results of a clinical trial on the treatment of the knee joints osteoarthritis using multipotent stem cells of the placenta and umbilical cord
At the Kyiv City Clinical Hospital №6 and the Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, patients with stage 2-3 osteoarthritis of the knee joints were administered placental mesenchymal stem cell preparation (“Chondrostem”, Institute of Cell Therapy Cryobank), injected into the joints. After 3 and 6 months, such positive results of treatment as thickening of cartilage, reduction of inflammation and relief of pain were noted. The first patient to receive this innovative treatment was the director of the Institute of Cell Therapy Cryobank Dr. Halyna Lobyntseva, Ph.D, holder of the State Prize of Ukraine. The positive effects of cell therapy for osteoarthritis were also publicly noted by the famous football player Andriy Shevchenko.
- Maintainance of leadership on the national biobanking market
As mentioned above, the Institute of Cell Therapy for almost 20 years has been offering Ukrainian parents the collection, transportation, processing, testing and long-term storage of biomaterial collected during childbirth (umbilical cord blood, umbilical cord, placenta) in accordance with international standards (NetCord-FACT, GMP, GLP, GCP). Our techniques ensure the presence of up to 96% of viable cells after thawing. This is evidenced by hundreds of successful applications of biomaterial processed by Cryobank in clinical trials for the treatment of COVID-19, osteoarthritis, keratitis (inflammation of the cornea), cardiovascular disease, pancreatitis and others.
- Performance of clinical trials under the auspices of the Coordination Center for Tissue and Cell Transplantation of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine
In 2008, the Institute of Cell Therapy was one of the first medical institutions in Ukraine to receive a permission from the Coordination Center for Organs, Tissue and Cell Transplantation of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine to conduct clinical trials using human stem cells. To date, the Institute of Cell Therapy has successfully completed clinical trials for the treatment of chronic ischemia of the lower extremities, pancreatic necrosis, diseases of the peripheral arteries of the lower extremities, keratitis. In cooperation with the leading research institutes of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, medical universities and hospitals of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine the Institute of Cell Therapy continues clinical trials on the treatment of cardiomyopathy, osteoarthritis, trophic ulcers of the lower extremities, intervertebral discs herniation, COVID-19.
- ISO quality standard maintainance
In 2014, the Institute of Cell Therapy became the first umbilical cord blood bank in Ukraine to receive the prestigious international ISO accreditation. The audit was conducted by the German company TUV Rheinland/LGA InterCert. International accreditation of cryobanks of umbilical cord blood, other human cells and tissues, in addition to the license of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, is an additional guarantee of high quality cryopreservation of biomaterial by the biobank and compliance of its biological products with international standards. The latter is extremely important when it is necessary to transport cryopreserved biomaterial abroad and receive medical services in other countries.
- International cooperation
Biotechnology is the fastest growing branch of medicine, and timely provision of the latest achievements of this bio-industry to the customers of Cryobank requires close international cooperation. The Institute of Cell Therapy is a member of the most authoritative international association of cord blood banks, the Cord Blood Association (CBA). Researchers of the Institute of Cell Therapy are members of the International Placental Stem Cell Society (IPLASS), the International Society for Cell Therapy (ISCT), the International Federation of Placental Associations (IFPA), the American Society of Clinical Chemistry (AACC), and the Navigating Knowledge Landscapes (NKL).
- Active participation in the activities of the Cord Blood Association (CBA)
As a member of the Cord Blood Association (CBA), the largest and most prestigious professional association of umbilical cord blood banks, the Institute of Cell Therapy is actively involved in this organization activities. In 2021, the Institute of Cell Therapy was the only national biobank that represented Ukraine at 2 CBA meetings dedicated to combating unwanted temperature changes in the transportation or processing of umbilical cord blood and the possibility of using biomaterial preserved decades ago. The Institute of Cell Therapy also participated in the World Cord Blood Congress in the United States, organized by CBA.
- Reports at international scientific conferences
In 2021, the Institute of Cell Therapy represented Ukraine at the World Cord Blood Congress CordBloodConnect 2021, delivering a report “18 years of biobanking and clinical use of umbilical cord blood in Ukraine.” At the conference “Regenerative technologies in traumatology and orthopedics” 2 reports were delivered from the Institute of Cell Therapy presented on the results of a clinical trial on the treatment of osteoarthritis by umbilical cord and placental stem cells (speakers were Dr. P. Nemtinov, PhD and R. Birsa). Scientific consultant of the Institute of Cell Therapy, Dr. C. Nasadyuk, PhD presented scientific reports at the European Gastroenterology Week (Austria) and scientific conferences “Knowledge, Transdisciplinarity, Ethics” (Sweden), “Muscle diseases – on the borders of specialties” (Ukraine).
- Re-registration of the scientific journal “Cell and Organ Transplantology” in the List of Scientific Editions of Ukraine and its indexing in Scopus
In 2013, the Institute of Cell Therapy founded a scientific and practical journal “Cell and Organ Transplantology”, a unique one for Ukraine. The journal is intended for specialists working in the field of transplantology, molecular and cell biology, genetics, immunology, bioengineering. On September 27, 2021, the journal was re-registered for the third time in the List of scientific professional editions of Ukraine in the field of medical/biological sciences. Since 2019, the journal “Cell and Organ Transplantology” has been indexed in Scopus, as well as in Google Scholar, the National Library of Ukraine named after VI Vernadsky and other international scientometric databases (Open Academic Journals Index – OAJI), Ulrich’s Periodicals Directory, Copernicus International Index , International Scientific Indexing and Citefactor, Medical Journal Links.
- Active participation in the activities of the Association of cryobanks of umbilical cord blood, other human cells and tissues
In 2013, on the initiative of the Institute of Cell Therapy in Ukraine, the Association of cryobanks of umbilical cord blood, other human cells and tissues was founded. This is the only organization in Ukraine that unites licensed cryobanks, specialized research institutes, cell therapy clinics and other medical centers to develop biobanking within the legal field, promotes harmonization of the national standards according to international requirements, promotes education of doctors in biotechnology field and provides reliable information to patients and other consumers of this innovative industry. The Institute of Cell Therapy as a co-founder and full member of the Association of Cryobanks is actively involved in all educational and other projects of this organization.
The staff of the Institute of Cell Therapy will continue to make every effort to provide the highest level of medical services, create new methods of cell therapy and their wider implementation in national practical medicine.
