Autologous Cord Blood Cell Infusion In Preterm Neonates Safely Reduces Respiratory Support Duration And Potentially Preterm Complications (Vol 9, Pg 169, 2020)

Preterm birth and its complications are the leading cause of neonatal death. The main underlying pathological mechanisms for preterm complications are disruption of the normal maturation processes within the target tissues, interrupted by premature birth. Cord blood, as a new and convenient source of stem cells, may provide new, promising options for preventing preterm complications. This prospective, nonrandomized placebo controlled study aims at investigating the effect of autologous cord blood mononuclear cells (ACBMNC) for preventing preterm associated complications. Preterm infants less than 35 weeks gestational age were assigned to receive ACBMNC (5 x 10(7) cells/kg) intravenous or normal saline within 8 hours after birth. Preterm complications rate were compared between two groups to demonstrate the effect of ACBMNC infusion in reducing preterm complications. Fifteen preterm infants received ACBMNC infusion, and 16 infants were assigned to control group. There is no significant difference when comparing mortality and preterm complications rate before discharge home. However, ACBMNC infusion demonstrated significant decreases in duration of mechanical ventilation (3.2 days vs 6.41 days, P = .028) and oxygen therapy (5.33 days vs 11.31 days, P = .047). ACBMNC infusion was effective in reducing respiratory support duration in very preterm infants. Due to the limited number of patients enrolled, powered randomized controlled trials are needed to better define its efficacy. Stem Cells Translational Medicine 2019