Patients needing bone marrow or cord blood transplants often turn to family members in hopes of a perfect match. However, 70-75% of them fail to find a suitable match within their own gene pool.

In Korea, a team of researchers claimed to have successfully transplanted umbilical cord blood stem cells into the spine of a 37-year old woman. The patient had been paralyzed for 19 years due to an accident. Doctors injected the stem cells directly into the damaged portion of her spine. Within only three weeks, she began walking assisted with a walker, and today she walks well without aid.

Cord blood transplant is a relatively new compared to bone marrow transplants The quantity of umbilical cord blood is limited. The amount of stem cells is very crucial for any treatment. A younger patient will require less stem cells compared to an older one. If for any reason the patient requires a second graft, he will have to take a donation from outside. This may lead to more complications.

Umbilical cord blood stem cell transplant has been proven to treat Lymphoproliferative disease. This illness is a rare condition that affects the immune system and makes the patient unable to fight off common germs. Brothers Blayke and Garrett of Los Angeles, California were born with this life threatening disease. Thanks to a cord blood transplant, both boys are now living normal, healthy lives.

It is important to understand that some types of blood are more common than others, so finding the right match may take some time. Doctors and NMDP will work together to locate possible matches across the globe, but understanding that protein markers are inherited, some matches may be more difficult to locate than others.

Once a match is made, many factors are considered, such as age of the donor, their sex, medical conditions, blood type, and other things. The urgency of the required transplant will also play a factor in this process.