Evolution of Selected Practices in Cord Blood Banking and Transplantation
Program Code: 334-TC
Monday, October 17, 2005
4:00 PM to 5:30 PM (ET)

MODERATOR
Michael H. Creer, MD, FCAP, FASCP, Saint Louis University

SPEAKERS
Zbigniew Szczepiorkowski, MD, PhD, FCAP, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
Michael H. Creer, MD, FCAP, FASCP, Saint Louis University
Donna Regan, MT(ASCP)SBB, St. Louis Cord Blood Bank

DESCRIPTION
Screening of umbilical cord blood (CB) donors differs significantly from that of donors of whole blood or blood components or donors of peripheral blood stem/progenitor cells (PBSC) or bone marrow (BM). Overly restrictive donor screening practices threaten to slow down expansion of the inventory of cord blood products available for transplantation without providing any measurable benefit in product safety. It is strongly recommended that CB banks establish product release criteria designed to verify, prior to export, that hematopoietic progenitor cell (HPC) viability and function have not been significantly compromised by the cryopreservation process. In addition, transplant centers must be provided with specific guidelines for thawing and administering CB products to ensure maximal recovery of viable, functional HPC utilizing procedures that require minimal manipulation of the product post-thaw. Increasing CB product utilization for HCT in adults will require development of transplant strategies that permit administration of larger cell doses to the recipient. This session will review all these issues and many more related to cord blood banking and transplantation.