Understanding your privately banked cord blood unit’s potential
For anyone considering private cord blood banking, it is important to understand its potential.
Doctors select cord blood to use for transplants based on quality measures such as:
· The total number of all cells present in each unit. This is referred to as Total Nucleated Cells (TNCs).
· The number of stem cells specifically present in each unit. This is referred to as CD34+ cells.
Most private cord blood banks provide this information to you shortly after the cord blood is received. It is important to understand how these measurements determine the potential for the cord blood as it can affect your decision to bank the umbilical cord blood privately.
How could privately banked cord blood be used?
· A TNC count of less than 500 million, or a CD34+ count less than 4 million may be unsuitable for transplant but may be stored for potential use in clinical trials or future therapies.
· A TNC count of more than 500 million, or a CD34+ more than 4 million may be suitable for child stem cell transplant.
· A TNC count of more than 1,250 million, or a CD34+ count of more than 10 million may be suitable for adult stem cell transplant.