Improving a quality test for cord blood samples

Cord blood — the blood left in the umbilical cord after a baby is born — is a rich and important source of stem cells for transplantation. Stem cell transplants are used to treat more than 80 diseases and disorders, including blood cell cancers such as leukemia. The national Canadian Blood Services’ Cord Blood Bank collects, processes and freezes cord blood units. These units are available to any patient worldwide who needs a stem cell transplant and finds a match in the bank. 

Recent research conducted by the Centre for Innovation and Canadian Blood Services Cord Blood Bank and stem cell manufacturing sought to improve pre-transplant quality tests of thawed cord blood samples. These tests are important as they are used to make decisions about whether the cord blood unit will be suitable for transplantation.

The study, “Overcoming the deceptively low viability of CD45+ cells in thawed cord blood unit segments” was published in November 2019 in Vox Sanguinis.  

The study findings suggest ways to improve the quality test procedure so that the results produced better reflect the quality of the cord blood unit to be transplanted. This could increase the number of cord blood units that can be released for transplantation by reducing the number of cord blood units that fail quality tests.

To learn more about the study, read our latest Research Unit.

Canadian Blood Services – Driving world-class innovation

Through discovery, development and applied research, Canadian Blood Services drives world-class innovation in blood transfusion, cellular therapy and transplantation—bringing clarity and insight to an increasingly complex healthcare future. Our dedicated research team and extended network of partners engage in exploratory and applied research to create new knowledge, inform and enhance best practices, contribute to the development of new services and technologies, and build capacity through training and collaboration. Find out more about our research impact. 

The opinions reflected in this post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Canadian Blood Services nor do they reflect the views of Health Canada or any other funding agency.