Addition of Public Cord Units Grows Cord Blood Registry by 20 Percent
National Marrow Donor Program Increases Cord Blood Units Available for Life-Saving Transplants
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- September 7, 2004The National Marrow Donor Program® (NMDP) has added three new cord blood member banks, increasing the number of units on its public cord blood Registry by more than 20 percent.
Now listed on the NMDP Registry are units from the Carolinas Cord Blood Bank at Duke University Medical Center, Durham, N.C.; the StemCyte Taiwan National Cord Blood Center; and the ZKRD German National Registry.
As a result, the NMDP has expanded access and increased the diversity of its public cord blood Registry to more than 36,000 units from 13 member U.S. cord blood banks and two cooperative affiliations to provide the single largest listing in the United States. These new units represent a diverse racial and ethnic mix that will increase the number of minority units, including a 37 percent increase in the number of Black and African American units.
The NMDP is unique in its ability to provide a streamlined, single source for blood cells used for transplant - marrow, PBSC and umbilical cord blood - in a complete and convenient manner, and to quickly deliver the preferred source to the transplant physician. Thus, the increase in the number of cord blood units provides additional options for patients and their doctors, particularly for persons of color.
"The National Marrow Donor Program continues to broaden and strengthen its network of cord blood banks, effectively and efficiently working to meet the needs of transplant physicians and their patients," said Joanne Kurtzberg, M.D., director of the Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplant Program at Duke and the Carolinas Cord Blood Bank.
"These partnerships will help more patients as they increase the number and diversity of cord blood units available for transplant," said Jeffrey Chell, M.D., NMDP chief executive officer. "We are committed to working with our partners to increase the accessibility of all treatment options for all patients. Our robust search, support and match work continues as we strive to help every patient in need."
Public cord blood banks collect and process cord blood from mothers who voluntarily donate their cord blood for use by unrelated recipients. The blood in the umbilical cord and placenta is unique because it contains large numbers of the types of cells used in transplantation. Collected after a baby's birth, cord blood collection poses no risk to the mother or her child.
The Carolinas Cord Blood Bank is a not-for-profit public cord blood bank that collects umbilical cord blood from women wishing to donate their baby's cord blood and who are delivering at one of its participating hospitals.
StemCyte has one of the the largest Asian and Hispanic cord blood inventories. Its StemCyte Taiwan National Cord Blood Center is the largest Asian donor cord blood bank.
ZKRD has managed the German National Bone Marrow Registry since 1989.
