The Klingemann lab is interested in translational research projects that will make stem cell transplants safer and more universally available. Cord blood cells provide a universal stem cell source to support transplants for blood cancers. Unfortunately two major issues have to be resolved with cord blood transplants and projects in the lab are centered around those questions.

The number of stem cells in stored cord blood units is generally not sufficient for transplanting adult patients. The first project is testing whether mesenchymal-like stem cells from the umbilical cord tissue (UC-MSC) can support ex vivo expansion of cord blood stem cells. We are also testing this hypothesis in an animal model where human cord blood and UC-MSC cells are co-transplanted either intravenously or directly into the bone marrow. In addition, we are also trying to learn more about the UC-MSC, their biology, genetic makeup and functional abilities as well as differences to other mesenchymal stem cells.

A second project looks at how we can augment an allogeneic graft versus tumor effect of cord blood cells.  Experiments are ongoing to determine whether we can expand the number of natural killer (NK) cells in the cord blood and how we can make them more targeted to specific leukemia or lymphoma cells that are only incompletely killed by NK cells. One approach includes the transfection of NK cells with a chimeric antibody receptor recognizing specific antigens on the malignant cell. We are also developing models that would allow us to interfere and manipulate certain signaling pathways in NK cells that could augment their function and make them more resistant to immunosuppressive effects displayed by cancer cell.