HEALTH & SCIENCE

Efforts under way to collect more umbilical cord blood

Transplants have become more successful, and research on cord blood stem cells is seen as promising. But processing and storage costs remain an obstacle.

By Susan J. Landers, AMNews staff. Sept. 9, 2002.

Washington -- Collection of blood from umbilical cords and placentas represents the ultimate in recycling.

Normally tossed out with a hospital's medical waste, cord blood is proving to be a good source of vital stem cells that are used in transplants to help children and adults overcome cancers, sickle cell disease and an array of metabolic disorders.

As a substitute for bone marrow when there is no family member to donate, cord blood is proving to be less costly to use, and research has demonstrated a similar success rate to marrow transplants, especially when used in small children.

But despite its potential, cord blood is seldom saved. The limited supply and other factors are posing obstacles to successful, widespread use.

Most stores are kept at public blood banks, which make cord blood available for transplantation in those deemed a match. So far there have been about 2,500 cord blood transplants done worldwide. The procedure began to be used more widely after a landmark research article was published in 1998. It reported successful outcomes among the first 562 cord blood transplants from the New York Blood Center's cord blood program.

There are probably about 30,000 cord blood units banked in the public domain now, but recommendations for an adequate supply range from 50,000 to 300,000 units.

The largest obstacle to expansion is a lack of funding, researchers said.

It is expensive to process cord blood -- about $1,200 to $1,500 per unit to collect, test and store -- and most hospitals lack resources to take on the task. [...]

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