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Cord blood therapies: researchers to separate hope from hype thanks to $100,000 grant


May 4, 2017


Stem cell therapies based on umbilical cord blood hold significant promise, but few have been scientifically proven. Dr. David Allan was awarded $100,000 from Canadian Blood Services (CBS) to develop policies around the use of cord blood that will protect Canadians from the possible dangers of unproven therapies. His team will create a continuously updating bank of clinical studies that support the use of umbilical cord blood cell therapies, so Canadians can know which treatments are proven and which are still experimental. They will also identify the gaps between what the clinical evidence shows and what the public expects from these therapies. Finally, the team will develop processes that will ensure fair access to banked cord blood for regenerative therapies, and design search algorithms that are compatible with national and international registries. See CBS blog post for more.

Co-investigators: Brian Hutton, Tim Caulfield, Kim Young

The Ottawa Hospital: Inspired by research. Driven by compassion


The Ottawa Hospital is one of Canada’s largest learning and research hospitals with over 1,100 beds, approximately 12,000 staff and an annual budget of over $1.2 billion. Our focus on research and learning helps us develop new and innovative ways to treat patients and improve care. As a multi-campus hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, we deliver specialized care to the Eastern Ontario region, but our techniques and research discoveries are adopted around the world. We engage the community at all levels to support our vision for better patient care. See www.ohri.ca for more information about research at The Ottawa Hospital.

University of Ottawa: —A crossroads of cultures and ideas


The University of Ottawa is home to over 50,000 students, faculty and staff, who live, work and study in both French and English. Our campus is a crossroads of cultures and ideas, where bold minds come together to inspire game-changing ideas. We are one of Canada’s top 10 research universities—our professors and researchers explore new approaches to today’s challenges. One of a handful of Canadian universities ranked among the top 200 in the world, we attract exceptional thinkers and welcome diverse perspectives from across the globe. www.uottawa.ca

Media Contact


Amelia Buchanan
Senior Communication Specialist
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Office: 613-798-5555 x 73687
Cell: 613-297-8315
ambuchanan@ohri.ca