Umbilical cord blood transplantation for the treatment of hematologic malignancies

The use of unrelated umbilical cord blood (UCB) has grown as an allogeneic source of hematopoietic cells for transplantation of patients with hematologic malignancies. As the number of UCB transplantation procedures has grown, an increasing number of publications have focused on disease-specific outcomes.

This review focuses on the outcome data following UCB transplantation in subsets of hematologic malignancies in which experience with this graft source is greater.

Registry and single-institution reports regarding the outcomes of children and adults with acute leukemias after UCB transplantation include many patients, while data on the clinical outcomes of other leukemias are limited due in part to the small number of patients with these diseases. UCB is now routinely used as a source of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in pediatric allogeneic transplantation when a suitable sibling donor is not available. Data also support the use of UCB as an alternative source of HSC for transplantation of patients with hematologic malignancies who lack a more conventional donor. Current data also support UCB for patients who require an allograft in the setting of prospective clinical trials.

Along with safety and feasibility in UCB transplantation, continued study is needed that focuses on issues such as accelerating engraftment, extending access, ensuring quality, and examining outcomes in specific subgroups of patients.