The use of blood cord stem cells for transplants in the absence of bone marrow donors has become increasingly popular since Kurtzberg performed the first transplant in 1993.
“Cord blood, which is usually discarded following birth, is a noncontroversial alternative to embryonic stem cell treatments,” Kurtzberg said. “Even more important, more than 90 percent of patients who can’t find a bone marrow match find a cord blood match.”
Unlike bone marrow, cord blood stem cells are matched using proteins, rather than genes, and have been shown to adapt more easily, she said. They are especially useful for younger patients, whose immune systems respond less aggressively to foreign cells. Storage and classification of the the cells, however, costs about $1,600 per unit.