Professor Sung-Ho Kook (Bioactive Material Sciences) and team have been drawing attention from world academia by separating hematopoietic stem cells from the placenta discarded as medical waste after giving birth.

The August 14th online issue of Leukemia (IF: 11.7), the prestigious journal on hemato-oncology, published the research outcome and evaluated that the team provided a basis for clinical use of the hematopoietic stem cells for leukemia or cancer patients who need the stem cell transplantation.

The placenta, an organ that grows in the uterus during pregnancy, plays a crucial role in the transfer of oxygen to the bloodstream of the fetus using the umbilical cord, the emission of carbon dioxides (CO2), the transport of nutrients, the elimination of secretion from the fetus, and the production of hormones.

The researchers succeeded in isolating hematopoietic stem cells with functional activity using the 'P2Y14 protein' expression in the placenta. In addition, they have proven that the isolated hematopoietic stem cells transplanted into the adult mice showed multi-lineage differentiation ability to form various blood cells, and even self-renewal potential.

The study was carried out with the support of the National Research Foundation of Korea, with the participation of Hyun-Jung Sim and Professor Jeong-Chae Lee. The team’s further research is underway to clarify the role of P2Y14 protein in hematopoietic stem cells derived from adult mouse bone marrow.