Advantages of Cord Blood Transplants
Cord Blood Stem Cells have several advantages in comparison with bone marrow and progenitor cells from peripheral blood. They represent an easy to get source, rich in hematopoietic stem cells whose harvesting raises no risk to mother or child. When making use of appropriate screening methods, the risk of contamination with infectious agents (bacteria, fungi and viruses such as cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, HIV and hepatitis B virus) in cord blood seems to be low. There are convincing results that the frequency and severity of acute and chronic Graft-vs.-host disease (GVHD) are lower in the case of cord blood transplant, compared with matched bone marrow transplants or peripheral blood from an unrelated donor.
The available results seem to indicate that the transplantation of umbilical cord blood could be made in the presence of more pronounced HLA (Human Leukocyte Antigen) incompatibility degrees than in the case of a bone marrow transplant from an unrelated donor, thus expanding the number of potential donor groups. The ethnic balance in public cord blood banks may be insured or regulated within heterogeneous populations, by targeting minorities. Frozen cord blood can be easily shipped and thawed if necessary, resulting in decreased time between the launching of a research and the implementation of a transplant.
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History of Cord Blood TransplantationLimitations of Cord Blood Transplantation