Abstract
As a source of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), umbilical cord blood (UCB) has the advantages of speed of availability, tolerance of 1-2 antigen HLA mismatch, and a low incidence of severe GVHD. Thus, UCB represents a highly convenient HSC source that may significantly extend the HSC donor pool. UCB transplantation (UCBT) has become a standard practice in the treatment of pediatric malignancies. Now, UCBT is being investigated in adults using both conventional and non-myeloablative preparative regimens. As graft cell dose is the major factor determining hematopoietic recovery and survival in URD UCBT, methods to increase cell dose such as multiple-unit transplant and ex vivo expansion are being pursued. This review outlines the current status of UCBT with emphasis on current and future innovations.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 35-43 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology |
| Volume | 48 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Oct 2003 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Supported by grants from the National Institute of Health (NOI HB 67139; POI CA 65493, JEW) and Children's Cancer Research Fund (JEW, JNB).
Keywords
- Acute leukemia
- Allogeneic transplantation
- Hematopoietic stem cells
- Umbilical cord blood
