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Blood banking for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
E Gluckman1, D Thierry, R Traineau
1Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Paris, France.
Journal of Hematotherapy
|January 1, 1993
Summary
Umbilical cord blood transplants offer an alternative to bone marrow transplants for hematological diseases with limited graft-versus-host disease. A European bank aims to provide hematopoietic stem cells for patients lacking a bone marrow donor.
Area of Science:
- Hematology
- Transplantation immunology
- Stem cell biology
Background:
- Umbilical cord blood (UCB) transplantation is increasingly utilized worldwide.
- UCB transplants show comparable efficacy to allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for various hematological diseases.
- Limited incidence of graft-versus-host disease is observed with UCB transplants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish a European cord blood bank.
- To provide access to matched or mismatched hematopoietic stem cells from related or unrelated donors.
- To offer an alternative for patients lacking a suitable bone marrow donor.
Main Methods:
- Establishing a centralized European cord blood bank infrastructure.
- Collecting and processing umbilical cord blood units.
- Characterizing hematopoietic stem cell populations and HLA typing for matching.
Main Results:
- UCB transplantation is a viable alternative for treating hematological disorders.
- The relative immune immaturity of newborns contributes to UCB transplant advantages.
- High numbers of hematopoietic progenitors are available at birth in cord blood.
Conclusions:
- A European cord blood bank can facilitate UCB transplantation accessibility.
- UCB offers a valuable source of hematopoietic stem cells for patients.
- This initiative addresses the unmet need for stem cell donors.