Marrow donor registration and cord blood banking: current issues

Abstract

Marrow donor registration and cord blood banking are essential components of the infrastructure required for unrelated haemopoietic stem cell transplantations. We now have a new law to support and regulate the Marrow Donor Coordination Agency, Cord Blood Banks and the Haematopoietic Stem Cell Provision Support Organization. We also need to have a specific goal for bone marrow and peripheral blood stem cell donor registration, a minimum cord blood bank size, and the demographic data to back the medical needs for unrelated haemopoietic stem cell transplantations. To improve bone marrow and peripheral blood stem cell transplantations, we need to recruit younger adults for marrow registration and make greater efforts to shorten the coordinating period. For cord blood transplantations, uniting and empowering the cord blood collection sites is needed, to encourage and motivate obstetricians and other staff, as the quality of cord blood units is primarily determined during collection. Also, the cord blood banks must work cooperatively to provide cord blood internationally, which includes coordinating with international agencies and their regulations.