Volume reduction in routine cord blood banking.

Area of Science:

• Hematology
• Cellular Therapy
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is a vital source of hematopoietic stem cells for treating various diseases.
• Over 20,000 UCB transplants have been performed globally, with over 400,000 units stored in public banks.
• Effective cryopreservation and storage of high-quality UCB units are primary objectives for cord blood banks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically analyze the advantages and disadvantages of different UCB volume reduction methods.
• To evaluate UCB volume reduction techniques used at Valencia Cord Blood Bank over a decade.
• To compare traditional methods with newer automated systems for UCB processing.

Main Methods:

• Review of established UCB volume reduction techniques, including Hydroxyethyl Starch (HES) sedimentation.
• Analysis of semi-automated blood fractionation systems adapted for UCB processing.
• Evaluation of modern automated devices such as SEPAX and AXP for UCB volume reduction.

Main Results:

• Volume reduction is essential for reducing storage space and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) quantity.
• Methods must ensure high cell recovery and efficient red blood cell (RBC) depletion.
• Automatic devices demonstrate higher reproducibility, cGTP compliance, and reduced technician dependency.

Conclusions:

• Automated UCB volume reduction systems are generally preferred in cord blood banking.
• These systems enhance process standardization and minimize variability.
• The findings support the adoption of automated technologies for improved UCB unit quality and banking efficiency.