Methods of ex vivo expansion of human cord blood cells: challenges, successes and clinical implications.

More than 40,000 unrelated cord blood transplantations (UCBT) have been performed worldwide as treatment for patients with malignant or non-malignant life threatening hematologic disorders. However, low absolute numbers of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) within a single cord blood unit has remained a limiting factor for this transplantation modality, particularly in adult recipients. Further, because UCB contains low numbers of mostly naïve T cells, immune recovery after UCBT is slow, predisposing patients to severe infections.

Outcomes after related and unrelated umbilical cord blood transplantation for hereditary bone marrow failure syndromes other than Fanconi anemia.

Background: Allogeneic stem cell transplantation is the only curative option for patients with hereditary bone marrow failure syndromes. Umbilical cord blood is an alternative source of stem cells for allogeneic transplantation.

Design And Methods: This multicenter, retrospective study is based on data reported to the Eurocord Registry about patients with hereditary bone marrow failure syndrome who underwent umbilical cord blood transplantation.

Fertility recovery and pregnancy after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in Fanconi anemia patients.

Reduced fertility is one clinical manifestation among other well known Fanconi anemia features. Most recipients of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation suffer from secondary infertility owing to gonadal damage from myeloablative conditioning. In order to evaluate the rate of pregnancy in Fanconi anemia transplanted patients, we performed a retrospective analysis of female patients transplanted in 15 centers from 1976 to 2008.