Outcomes after related and unrelated umbilical cord blood transplantation for hereditary bone marrow failure syndromes other than Fanconi anemia
"Conclusions In patients with hereditary bone marrow failure syndromes, related umbilical cord blood transplantation is associated with excellent outcomes while increasing cell dose and better HLA matching might provide better results in unrelated umbilical cord blood transplantation."
In the time that I have spent studying and researching every aspect of cord blood banking I can, I have seen a heated debate about the two cord blood banking options: public donation or private banking. Is there a right answer that one is better than the other? I can almost say with complete certainty their are studies out there that say unrelated donor outcomes show higher success rates. The study above shows some fantastic results and are extremely encouraging. So is one option better than the other? I don't think so, their is plenty of room for both the private and public option. My argument is two fold. One, I personally think that no matter which road a parent decides, the last thing that should happen is the cord blood be discarded. In every single cord blood sample, their sits a potentially life-saving treatment for someone in this world. Two, it is not anyone else's choice to decide which route to take whether it be private or public but THE PARENTS. A family should have access to all the information possible and THEMSELVES make an educated and informed decision. Lack of information and awareness are the number one driver on why so few samples are being saved when one looks at the amount of cord blood being stored vs the amount of babies being born every minute. We have 27 states that have some form of pro cord blood banking legislation yet so few expecting mothers are aware about this service until after the fact. More needs to be done to inform the masses about the wonders being discovered daily using cord blood stem cells. Scientists, researchers, and the medical community are breaking down barriers once thought a pipe dream on a regular basis and in my opinion the future has never looked brighter. The accomplishments made using cord blood stem cells in the short amount of time this type of treatment option has been used is anything short of AMAZING! If you read this, please share this with others so they can help reach out to an expecting family that may miss their opportunity because they were not informed about cord blood banking. You could potentially save a life by doing so.
A special thanks to Dr. Frances Verter. In my opinion, she has single handily created a precedent for cord blood education and awareness. The whole industry owes her a debt of gratitude for all the hard work she has done over the years. She is someone I admire very much.
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