Variations in Umbilical Cord Blood Bank Preservation Processes
There are standard practices that every umbilical cord blood bank follows to prolong stem cell life in its cord blood units. Differences in preservation techniques also exist among these storage facilities, including the depletion or retention of red blood cells in the cord blood units before cryopreservation (freezing).
The separation of red blood cells from the beneficial CD34+ stem cells reduces the need for post-thaw washing, a procedure which can reduce the amount of stem cells available in a unit. And higher amounts of stem cells have proven to increase the chances of treatment success and patient survival. In addition, red blood cell depletion decreases the possibility of blood type incompatibility, and thus lessens the potential complications when the stem cells are transplanted to a family member.
On average, LifebankUSA® produces cord blood stem cells that are 99 percent free of red blood cells. A high percentage of red blood cells in the final cord blood unit may lead to complications, especially when transplanted to infants. For more information on the leading umbilical cord blood bank, call 1-877-LIFEBANKUSA.
admin @ July 15, 2009