Eurocord Transplant: European Research On Cord Blood Banking and Use For Transplantation

• Research unit: EU RFP
• Project number: 95.0707

Key words (English)

Cord blood; stem cell transplantation; cord blood banking

Alternative project number (English)

EU project number: BMH4CT960833

Research programs (English)

EU-programme: 4. Frame Research Programme - 4.2 Agriculture and agroindustry

Short description (English)

See abstract

Further information (English)

Full name of research-institution/enterprise:
Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève HUG
Département de médecine interne
Division d'Immunologie et d'Allergologie

Partners and International Organizations (English)

EUROCORD

Abstract (English)

EUROCORD: A concerted action to establish a network of European Cord Blood Banks
Stem transplantation is an important therapy for the treatment of inherited or malignant blood disorders. Successful transplantation requires HLA matching of the donor to the recipient. However, a fully matched donor is not always available for every patient. In such cases, Cord Blood (CB) can be used as an alternative source of stem cells. When used for transplantation, CB cells generate less graft versus host compared to normal stem cell grafts, even when the donor and the recipient are not fully HLA-matched. Therefore, the recruitment of a matched CB is principally different from the recruitment of a bone marrow donor. Because of the lower requirements for matching with CB, a suitable match might already be found when 10 000 cord bloods are available for donation while in order to have a chance to find a matched bone marrow donor, it has been necessary to set up registries that consist of approximately 5 million donors. Therefore, it has been possible to create CB banks containing cryopreserved stem cells that are immediately available. Obviously, such a system becomes much more efficient when CBs may be obtained from every bank and therefore, a large consensus has to exist on guidelines etc. In Switzerland, the work is co-ordinated by the STABMT, a working group for blood and marrow transplantation which is recognised by the OFSP and OFAS. To meet European and US demands, the European Standardisation Working Group meets regularly to co-ordinate the development of guide lines. At present, we are collecting CBs in Basel and in Geneva according to these guidelines and the first CBs from Basel have already been made available through international registries. In 1999, with the start of the Genevian Bank, this number will continuously increase with the Swiss Cord Blood Bank providing their material according to the international standards that can be accepted world wide.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: Euro-DB of the
State Secretariat for Education and Research
Hallwylstrasse 4
CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Swiss Project-Number: 95.0707