Dr. Bernard Thébaud and colleagues have been awarded $550,000 from the Ontario Institute for Regenerative Medicine (OIRM) to further their research in order to prepare for a clinical trial of umbilical cord stem cell therapy for premature babies with BPD, the most common complication of preterm birth.

Xplore Lab was also awarded a second grant of $75,000 to test a different kind of umbilical cord blood cell called endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) for high blood pressure in the lungs. 

Dr. Thébaud was interviewed by multiple media outlets, including: CTV Ottawa, CTV Toronto, CBC Ottawa Morning, Le Droit, 1310 News, OIRM blog, and The Ottawa Citizen.