Cord blood transfusion is the process by which cord blood collected from the umbilical cord vein, is administered intravenously. Screening of the blood for transfusion-related transmitted diseases and ABO, Rh group matched is required. Umbilical cord blood transfusion in standard practice requires donor and patient informed consent along with a permission from the Institute Ethics committee where such therapies are conducted.
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Medical use
Cord blood is being used to get stem cells with which to test in people with type 1 diabetes mellitus.
The stem cells from umbilical cord blood is also being used in the treatment of a number of blood diseases including blood cancers.
Cord blood is also being studied as a substitute for normal blood transfusions in the developing world.
Human umbilical cord blood contains an average of 150 ml of blood at term and is rich in various components like higher haemoglobin, potentiality to carry 60 percent more oxygen than adult haemoglobin, platelet concentration of 750000 against 250000 per microlitre of adult blood and a WBC count of 24000 against 6500-10,500 cells/mcl in adult blood. Therefore, it is used as an attractive and alternative potential to adult human blood transfusion. However,due to lack of appreciation and knowledge especially in developing countries, cord blood is often thrown away.
History
In 1939, Halbrecht reported in Lancet, his attempt to try human umbilical cord blood as a blood substitute.However, the absence of an anticoagulant like acid citrate dextrose resulted in the formation of clots.Also, the concept of blood safety and screening for different transfusion-related transmitted infectious diseases, was not prevalent at that time thereby rendering it unsuccessful.
Haematopoietic stem cell, present in the 0.01% of the cord blood components was first successful transplanted in a patient with Fanconi anaemia in 1989. In 1999,Niranjan Bhattacharya and his co workers from Calcutta clinically utilized the remaining 99.9% of cord blood for the first time. Growth factors and cytokines present in the cord blood plasma are currently under screening for therapeutic use in wound healing process.