Allogeneic and Autologous Cord Blood Banks

Abstract Public, allogeneic cord blood banks cryopreserve umbilical cord blood units donated for any patient in need of hemopoietic reconstitution, while private, commercial cord blood banks offer frozen conservation of cord blood for autologous use in exchange for a fee. Furthermore, some banks perform directed collections and storage of cord blood units for families including actual or potential candidates to hemopoietic stem cell transplant. The public and private sectors should be regulated with a harmonized set of high-quality standards, so that expectant families can make a well-documented choice between solidaristic donation and autologous conservation. Several experts currently encourage public donation and believe that more studies are necessary before autologous or directed conservation can be recommended to families without known risks of developing conditions that can be treated with hemopoietic stem cell transplant.