Cord blood 2.0: state of the art and future directions in transplant medicine

marks the 30th anniversary of the first cord blood transplantation (CBT). During that time, ans estimated 45,000 CBTs have occurred in adults and children, primarily for the treatment of hematopoietic malignancies but also marrow failure, immunodeficiency, selected metabolic disorders and hemoglobinopathy Fortunately, CBT has addressed some of the most pressing obstacles of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation generally, namely, rapid access, increased donor safety, less stringent HLA match requirement and potentially lower relapse and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) risk relative to other HSC sources. But, it too has its challenges, principally, limited cell dose and consequent delays in lympho-hematopoietic recovery.