Stem cells from cord blood
The establishment of the cord blood banks
Text author: Doc. Dr. Mirando Mrsić
Establishing cord blood banks is a sign of technological advancement and puts Croatia in a position among countries where such programs have existed for a long time. The foundation of the bank in Zagreb will provide greater availability to stem cells needed for transplantation. While establishing such a bank, the following facts should be taken into account::
Specific issues
- Attracting donors
- Consent for storage
- Suitability of donors
- Collection
- Selection of the stem cells
- Storage
- HLA tissue typing
- Testing for genetic diseases
- Sample for transplantation
- Transportation
- Dissolving and transfusion
- Privacy
Unresolved issues
- Adequate dosage collection
- Speed of recovery
- Maximum range of HLA tissue typing
- Potential for expansion
- Optimum processing procedure
- Storage duration
- Potential for own usage
- Role of stem cells in transplantation
- Role of genetic testing
- Testing for opportunistic infections
Most of these issues are resolved according to the protocol of each bank. Various institutions and programs are responsible for ensuring the bank's quality of work:
- American Association of Blood Banks (AAAB)
- American Red Cross (ARC)
- Cord Blood Transplantation Study (COBLT)
- European Blood and Marroe Transplant Group (EBMTG)
- Eurocord
- Foundation and Accredation of Hematopoietic Cell Therapy (FAHCT)
- Group for Collection and expansion of Hematopoietic Cells (GRACE)
- International Society for Hematology and Graft Engineering (ISHAGE)
- Joint Acrcredation Committeee of ISHAGE and EBMT (JACIE)
- NETCORD
- National Bone Marrow Donor Program (NMDP)
For a bank to be accredited by one of these institutions or programs it should first have 200 or more cord blood units stored
Umbilical cord blood banking programs are developed in the following European countries:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Czech Republic
- England
- Finland
- France
- Croatia
- Italy
- The Netherlands
- Germany
- Poland
- Spain
- Switzerland
On Wednesday, at the 179th action, 44 potential new hematopoietic stem cell donors joined the Registry. The action was held at the University Hospital Centre Sestre Milosrdnice (Sisters of Mercy) - Clinic for Children's Diseases on Klaićeva Street. more »
The students of the IV B class at the “I. Brlić-Mažuranić” Primary School from Rokovci – Andrijaševci, along with their teacher Ruža Uremović, organized a pre-Christmas charity sale at which they sold decorations and cookies. more »
We are grateful to our organizers and especially to the dear young people who became potential hematopoietic stem cell donors.
From the bottom of our hearts we thank them for making this generous decision which could possibly save someone's life.
more »
news archive