This World Cord Blood Day, Clinicians and Healthcare workers, YOU make all the difference!

Dr Salmaan Dalvi, Cord Blood Association Director.

Since the the first successful human umbilical cord blood transplant performed by Dr Gluckman back in 1988, umbilical cord blood has evolved from medical waste to a rich source of hematopoietic stem cells. These cells can be transplanted to treat patients with blood diseases such as leukemia and lymphoma, inherited genetic disorders, bone marrow failure and immune deficiency diseases. Clinical trials and investigations suggest that tomorrow they could potentially treat diabetes, and neurological disorders including autism, cerebral palsy and spinal cord injury

Cord blood, arguably the best resource of stem cells?

Every day, world leading clinicians and pioneers such as Dr Gluckman who carried out that first transplant and Dr Kurtzberg who established the largest transplant programme worldwide are making huge strides forwards in the advancement of stem cell therapies and treatments. And yet, despite this, thousands of litres of precious cord blood are discarded every year as medical waste. In my opinion, this is due to two major challenges. Firstly, there is not enough education on the importance of this liquid of life and hence the majority of the world’s population are unaware of the potential of storing cord blood. Secondly, there is not enough government funding for programmes where reputable private companies can partner with the government to have a collection programme. Croydon University Hospital's NHS altruistic cord blood donation programme in partnership with Precious Cells is an excellent example of how such programmes can work effectively. The search for a suitable donor for patients who need a hematopoietic stem cell transplant is made very difficult when there is no imminent match. The reliance on bone marrow donors can often end in heartache for families. The search for a bone marrow donor normally begins with clinicians looking to a patient’s siblings who may share an identical HLA type (and therefore be a match) and could provide the stem cells required for transplantation. In cases where a sibling match is not possible, clinicians can turn to stockpiles of the ‘corporeal resource’ of stem cells. These registries retain HLA data of adult volunteers who may be called upon to provide cells at some point. The second resource is umbilical cord blood from FACT and AABB accredited banks who have collected and stored altruistically donated cord blood at a great expense to themselves. In my opinion, this is often the best resource as it is an already tested, high quality product readily available to the patient in a relatively short time once a match has been established. The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Stem Cell Transplantation called for more facilities in the UK to increase the collection and banking of valuable cord blood in 2012 and then again in 2015. 'The UK is lagging behind other countries in its development of public cord blood banking', Labour MP Mark Tami, chair of the APPG, said. 'We hope our report will add new impetus to the Government's national plan for cord blood, and save the lives of 200 or more people each year who currently have no hope at all'.*The APPG also stressed that there was more of an urgency to encourage donors form black and minority asians and other ethnic minorities including eastern europeans. These communities were under represented on the UK stem cell register.

YOU can make a difference

Raising awareness of and increasing accessibility to donor cell therapies using donated cordblood will lead to millions of lives being saved from what was once deemed a “waste” product. That’s why this World Cord Blood Day, I urge clinicians and healthcare professionals to help raise awareness of the huge benefits of cord blood to the future of OUR healthcare. Speak to patients and urge them to find out more information.On World Cord Blood Day (Wed 15th November) I’ll be hosting an informative discussion with Q&A at Croydon University Hospital in London to celebrate the hospital's pioneering partnership with Precious Cells International to collect altruistically donated cord blood donation This will be streamed live on social media, please tune in or pop in if you're in the area. Dr Salmaan Dalvi, Cord Blood Association Director. cb-association.org/our-mission 8am to 8.30am: Midwives session 9am to 11am: Our Clinical Lead Ishrat will explain the benefits to mothers. Ishrat will be joined by Mariam from our Client relationships team and Vaidahi our Technologist who collects cord blood. 11.00am to 11.45am: Q&A session 1.00pm to 1.45pm: In conversation with Obstetrician and Midwives. *http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_122824.asp