Donate cord blood for research
Biomedical research using cord blood increases knowledge about blood stem cell transplantation, as well as processes for collecting, manufacturing, and storing cord blood. In addition, stem cells obtained from cord blood may be investigated in the development of new treatments for many diseases.
Such stem cell research provides hope for more safe and effective medical therapies in the future. Other biomedical research, which does not relate to blood stem cells, may also be undertaken with cord blood and lead to new discoveries that may improve medical care in the future.
Canadian Blood Services’ Cord Blood for Research Program
Canadian Blood Services’ Cord Blood for Research Program distributes cord blood products that do not meet the criteria for use in transplantation or storage in Canadian Blood Services’ Cord Blood Bank to ethically approved research projects. Lay summaries of approved research projects are available to provide information on the type of research supported by the Cord Blood for Research Program. Research projects that promote advances in the field of transfusion, cellular therapies, and transplantation medicine are given priority in the distribution of cord blood products for research.
Birthing parents who deliver at any of the four collection sites are given the option to consent to donate their cord blood for biomedical research in the event the cord blood does not qualify for storage in the bank. All birthing parents are provided with research information as part of the registration and consent process.
Canadian Blood Services is committed to supporting research in our partner hospitals in addition to the Cord Blood for Research Program. We return non-qualifying cord blood donations and/or placenta samples to the hospital to be dealt with according to hospital policies, which may include supporting research studies that are compatible with cord blood collection. Birthing parents may be approached and consented to participate in a hospital specific research study which is not associated with the Cord Blood for Research Program. The hospital researcher will explain the research study and answer any questions.
If you are participating in a research study specific to your delivering hospital, please contact the hospital research coordinator to confirm you can donate cord blood and continue with the research study.
For more information on the Cord Blood for Research Program, please email researchcordblood@blood.ca or call 1 888 2 DONATE.
