Cord blood is an attractive addition and alternative to stem cells from bone marrow or blood of adult donors, as cord blood characterized by a number of advantages:
- Ease of procurement
- Absence of risks to the donor
- Reduced likelihood of transmitting infections
- Storage of fully tested and HLA-typed stem cells
- CB-transplantations result in a similar long-term survival together with decreased GvHD and better long-term immune recovery compared to HLA-matched unrelated BM transplants.
- The search for an HLA-matched unrelated adult donor may take as long as 3-4 months. Cord blood, however, is promptly available for immediate use, which may be crucial for patients with aggressive malignancies.
- For patients in urgent need, cord blood offers a higher chance to find a suitable donor and is safer due to less stringent HLA-matching requirements.
- Vivocell cord blood banks provide the transplantation centre with all information required, including high resolution HLA typing, comprehensive viral and bacteriological status, donor´s family medical history and a detailed report of the unit´s cellular composition, as well as a report on collection, transportation, preparation, freezing process and storing conditions.