|
- Because of the limited number of cells that can be collected, cord blood is primarily used for children and smaller adults. Research is currently under way to make cord blood a suitable option for a wider range of patients, including the use of multiple cord blood units for a single recipient. Many researchers are developing ways to expand the number of stem cells in a unit of cord blood. Research being performed at the Puget Sound Blood Center and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center is offering hope for adults with life-threatening diseases of the blood system.
- Cord Blood transplants are typically used to treat blood diseases, such as leukemia and aplastic anemia. The cells are transplanted after the patient's own stem cells have been destroyed by chemotherapy. This is a relatively new procedure. About 3000 patients worldwide have received cord blood transplants, and the numbers are increasing. With over 4 million births annually nationwide, the ready availability of cord blood could increase the number of transplants used in treating or curing these illnesses.
- Cord blood transplantation offers hope for people without a bone marrow match, especially patients from non-Caucasian ethnic groups. Because of the lower numbers of registered bone marrow donors in ethnic communities, an African American patient, for example, may have just a 47 percent chance of finding a matching donor. A Caucasian patient may have an 80 percent chance of finding a donor. For this reason, cord blood collected from babies of non-Caucasian and mixed ethnic origins are particularly helpful.
|
|
|
