Workshop on umbilical cord blood stem cells and transplantation - Keystone Symposia

In an attempt to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with allogeneic bone marrow transplantation, clinical investigators in Asia, Australia, Europe and North America have evaluated umbilical cord and placental blood as an alternate source of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells for transplantation. To date, 34 patients with a variety of malignant and non malignant diseases have been transplanted with umbilical cord blood after myeloablative therapy. The clinical outcome after transplantation, hematopoietic content of umbilical cord blood, maternal cell contamination, functional aspects of the neonatal immune system and issues related to the large scale banking of unrelated umbilical cord blood are summarized in this review.