Umbilical Cord Blood for Transplantation: from Collection Quality to Its Use in Cerebral Palsy

Abstract

Umbilical cord blood (UCB) has become an alternative source for transplantation in children and adults due to its rapid availability, less stringent human leukocyte antigen–match requirements, lower risk of graft-versus-host disease, and lower risk of infectious disease transmission. Good-quality UCB collection is the first step needed for increasing the successful application of UCB. Since the first use of UCB transplantation to treat Fanconi anaemia in 1988, UCB transplantation has been widely used in both paediatric and adult patients. The rich variety of stem cells other than haematopoietic stem cells in UCB allows potential expansion of its application to the treatment of neurological disorders. In this review, strategies for collecting good-quality UCB, and the benefits and disadvantages of in utero and ex utero UCB collection methods are discussed. This article also summarises recent developments in the use of UCB transplantation in children and adults, as well as laboratory and clinical evidence of the role of UCB in the treatment of cerebral palsy.