Scoring system for optimal cord blood unit selection for single cord blood transplantation

Mizuki Watanabe1, Takaaki Konuma2, Nobuhiko Imahashi3

  • 1Department of Hematology, Kyoto University Hospital, Kyoto, Japan; Division of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.

Cytotherapy
|December 27, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Optimal cord blood units (CBUs) for transplantation were identified through a ranked categorization system. These CBUs significantly improved overall survival and engraftment in female patients, matching outcomes from conventional bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell donors.

Area of Science:

  • Hematology
  • Transplantation Medicine
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Cord blood unit (CBU) selection is critical for successful transplantation.
  • Identifying optimal CBUs can improve patient outcomes and reduce transplantation-related risks.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To categorize cord blood units (CBUs) to identify optimal units for transplantation.
  • To compare the efficacy of selected CBUs with conventional bone marrow (BM) and peripheral blood stem cell (PBSCT) transplantation.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective analysis of 8503 adult patients undergoing their first single cord blood transplantation (CBT) between 2000-2019.
  • Factors influencing overall survival (OS) and neutrophil engraftment were identified to create ranked CBU categories.
  • Comparison with HLA-matched unrelated and related bone marrow/peripheral blood stem cell transplantations.

Main Results:

  • For females, CBUs with specific CD34+ cell and CFU-GM counts, and no sex-mismatch, demonstrated the best OS, comparable to related BM/PBSCT and unrelated BM/PBSCT in high-risk disease.
  • Male patients did not show significant factors affecting OS based on CBU characteristics.
  • Categorization effectively predicted female OS and engraftment but not OS in males.

Conclusions:

  • Ranked CBU categorization effectively predicts outcomes in female recipients.
  • Optimally selected CBUs provide outcomes comparable to conventional donors for females, but not for males.
  • This study provides a framework for selecting superior CBUs for female patients undergoing CBT.
Abstract