Press releases 11th Congress

- A major discovery paves the way for future developments in the prevention of thrombosis.

Amsterdam, 15 June 2006. The results of a new study providing insight into the causes of thrombosis are being presented today at the 11th Annual Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA) in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The study was conducted by the University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), the Netherlands, in conjunction with the University of Cambridge, UK. The study was successful in identifying the precise location where the von Willebrand-factor protein adheres to collagen – the first step in thrombus formation. This discovery makes it possible to begin developing medication to block platelet adhesion, marking a major step forward in the treatment of thrombosis.

Amsterdam , 15 June 2006 . Two pioneering studies in the field of stem cell transplantation are being presented today at the 11th annual Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA) in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The first study, conducted at the LeidenUniversityMedicalCenter (LUMC), demonstrates for the first time that environment-specific cells can play a role in positively influencing rejection reactions following stem cell transplants. The second study, from the San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milan, Italy, shows that a ‘suicide’ gene can be used to cut short rejection reactions following stem cell transplants. Both discoveries make stem cell transplants safer, and signify a step forward in the treatment of malignant blood conditions such as leukaemia.