Umbilical Cord Blood

Umbilical cord blood (UCB), once regarded as biological waste, has become an accepted source of hematopoietic stem cells/hematopoietic progenitor cells (HSCs/HPCs). UCB can be safely collected by obstetricians following delivery of the baby; it can also be collected by dedicated collection staff. In either setting, UCB is collected into a plastic blood bag (similar to the procedure at a blood drive) and usually measures up to one cup.  The unit then undergoes further processing (primarily to remove red blood cells) and cryopreservation (freezing) and is stored in a liquid nitrogen freezer at less than -135ºC (-211ºF) for eventual use. UCB can be stored in a private bank for potential use by a family member or in a public bank for anyone in the community (i.e., an unrelated recipient). 

UCB has several advantages as a source of HSCs/HPCs.  Because the HPCs in cord blood may be less mature, it is accepted that fewer HPCs are required from UCB than from marrow and peripheral blood. Use of UCB for HPC transplantation offers other benefits, such as decreased incidence of graft-versus-host disease (a complication of transplantation that can be life-threatening); reduced HLA matching requirements (i.e., a lower level match may be acceptable); and decreased search time, since units are banked and already HLA-typed. Patients with rare HLA types are often successful in finding a suitable cord graft when other sources are not acceptable.



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