System Harvests Stem Cells From Cord Blood

An automated platform for harvesting stem cells can yield up to 97% of mononuclear cells from cord blood, as well as improve the safety of stem cell collection and decrease the time needed to process cord blood samples.

GE Healthcare (Chalfont, UK) has introduced the AutoXpress (AXP) platform, an automated, closed, sterile system that harvests stem cells from umbilical cord blood samples with high yield and at high throughput. The AXP platform was developed by ThermoGenesis Corp. (Rancho Cordova, CA, USA). In October 2005 GE Healthcare gained the global exclusive distribution rights for the AXP platform from ThermoGenesis, as well as the non-exclusive distribution rights for the BioArchive System, a computer-controlled cryopreservation and storage system for cord blood.

A crucial step in the processing of cord blood is to reduce the collected volume (up to 150 ml) down to 20 ml with high stem cell recovery. Reproducible volume reduction is critical for enabling standardization of the precise freezing profile, which in turn is essential for maintaining stem cell viability. "The AXP platform maximizes yield and reproducibility while both improving the safety of stem cell collection, and decreasing the time needed to process cord blood samples” said Nigel Darby, vice president research and development, GE Healthcare Bio-Sciences.

The automated AXP platform can process up to six samples in 40 minutes whereas manual methods typically require 90 to 120 minutes per sample. The system has been performance-tested by the National Cord Blood Program at the New York Blood Center (NY, USA), which is now implementing a program to replace its manual processing method with the AXP platform.



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