Selection of Unrelated Donors and Cord Blood Units for Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation: Guidelines from NMDP/CIBMTR

Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation involves consideration of both donor and recipient characteristics to guide the selection of a suitable graft. Sufficient high resolution donor-recipient human leukocyte antigen (HLA) match is of primary importance in transplantation with adult unrelated donors, using conventional graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis. In cord blood transplantation, optimal unit selection requires consideration of unit quality, cell dose and HLA-match. In this summary, the National Marrow Donor Program ® (NMDP) and the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research ® (CIBMTR), jointly with the NMDP Histocompatibility Advisory Group, provide evidence-based guidelines for optimal selection of unrelated donors and cord blood units.