Cord blood bank, marrow donor program deal to benefit patients
Shanghai Cord Blood Bank and China Marrow Donor Program struck an agreement on Wednesday, eliminating the need for patients to apply to both banks. The same app can search the two banks for matching donors.
Health experts claimed that the cooperation would benefit patients and speed up the scientific integration of Chinese stem cell resources.
Umbilical cord blood and donor peripheral blood stem cells can treat leukemia, aplastic anemia, and immune deficiencies.
Shanghai Cord Blood Bank and China Marrow Donor Program signed an agreement, eliminating the requirement for patients to apply to both banks.
The China Marrow Donor Program has 3.33 million registered donors, with about 119,000 patients searching applications, and 16,500 successful donations.
The Shanghai Cord Blood Bank has performed 6,800 stem cell transplants. Over 60.3 percent of patients survive five years, meeting worldwide criteria. Experts say umbilical cord blood can be utilized alone or as an assistance therapy if the patient can even identify a half-matched donor to minimize rejection and increase transplant outcome.
Dr Chen Zhu, a hematologist and director of the Red Cross Society of China, said that stem cell donation and transplant can save lives and advance medicine. Integrating the two databases can boost China's stem cell business and assist patients worldwide.
