Cord blood transplantation: Hallmarks of the 20th century

Abstract

Significant advances have been made in cord blood research and transplantation in the 20th century. More than 1,000 cord blood transplants have been performed worldwide, successfully treating disorders such as Fanconi anemia, chronic myelogenous leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, neuroblastoma, Gaucher disease, and hemoglobinopathies (after treatment with chemotherapy). Cord blood transplants have been successful with either matched or mismatched HLAs. Cord blood transplants are successful because they are a rich source of viable stem cells, have minimal maternal T-cell contamination from collection techniques, and their immunologically naive T cells are less likely to invoke a graft-vs-host reaction. This article will highlight strides in cord blood research, including cord blood banking, transplantation, and gene therapy.