Cord Blood Transplantation

Despite anti-thymocyte globulin has a mainstay role in preventing GvHD (and non-relapse mortality) in CB transplantation, it also induces delayed immune recovery, increased risk of cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus reactivation, post-transplant lymphoproliferative diseases, overall accounting for increased transplant-related mortality and/or increased relapse incidence. All these findings support the use of alternative approaches for in vivo T cell depletion in the setting of CB transplantation.

The goal of this study is to collect blood samples from the umbilical cords of newborn babies, as soon as they are delivered, and to place these samples in the MD Anderson Cord Blood Bank. Your sample may be included in the National Cord Blood Inventory (NCBI) which is part of the CW Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program. The NCBI is a federally-supported program to assist in the collection of cord blood. Cord blood will be made available to patients through The National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP). These samples may then be offered to MD Anderson and other institutions for patients who need a bone marrow transplant and do not have a donor. The MD Anderson Cord Blood Bank will have the rights to release cord blood units to these institutions around the world according to established bone marrow transplant donor criteria, for a fee to cover costs. Cord blood samples that are collected and then do not meet the clinical requirements for patient use may also be used at MD Anderson or other institutions either for research or for quality purposes to improve cord blood banking procedures. If not suitable for patient use or for research purposes, the cord blood unit may be thrown away.