Banking on cord blood stem cells.
Umbilical cord blood gifted to non-profit public cord blood banks is now routinely used as an alternative source of haematopoietic stem cells for allogeneic transplantation for children and adults with cancer, bone marrow failure syndromes, haemoglobinopathies and many genetic metabolic disorders. Because of the success and outcomes of public cord banking, many companies now provide private cord banking services. However, in the absence of any published transplant evidence to support autologous and non-directed family banking, commercial cord banks currently offer a superfluous service.
Department of Paediatrics, Children's Cancer Research Group, Children's Haematology Oncology Centre, Christchurch School of Medicine, University of Otago, 2 Riccarton Ave, Christchurch 8005, New Zealand. michael.sullivan@otago.ac.nz
Michael J
MJ
Sullivan
D001771:Blood Banks; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D017149:Private Sector; D017150:Public Sector; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous