Drawing a cord blood unit from the umbilical cord is just the opening shot in a long and extremely clinical procedure that was done in a very short period before freezing in the preservation farm and for one purpose - and should it be used, it meets strict clinical requirements.
The activity of the National Cord Blood Center Laboratory is conducted according to the regulatory standards of the Health Ministry and international organizations such as the AABB (American Association of Blood Banks) and NetCord Fact (Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy.)
The collection and processing procedure of a cord blood unit
- The cord blood is gathered in a sterile bag following the birth, before the removal of the placenta, in a brief, indiscernible, and safe procedure for the mother and baby.
- A venous blood sample is withdrawn from the mother near birth (perinatal) to test for infectious diseases.
- The kit containing a cord blood unit, venous blood test tubes, and affiliated forms is collected by a messenger designated by the National Cord Blood Center.
- The kit transfer is carried in a container to preserve the required controlled temperature until it arrives at the National Cord Blood Center Laboratory.
- An authorized staff of the National Cord Blood Center Laboratory will examine the propriety of the cord blood unit, followed by the unit's processing.
- Cord blood processing includes a series of steps to reduce the volume - removing surplus red blood cells (RBCs) and plasma and bringing each cord blood unit to a uniform volume of 20 ml while maintaining maximum stem cells. This move is critical to provide a product of incomparable quality that will result in the maximum chance of successful medical treatment with the cord blood unit if needed.
- The cord blood units are frozen in a device designed for freezing stem cells through a gradual decrease in temperature (10°C per minute) to prevent damage to the parent cells.
Tests are carried out on the mother's venous blood
A sample of the mother's venous blood must be drawn within seven (7) days before/after birth (perinatal) to reflect the state of the mother's infectious diseases during the cord blood collection.
The tests performed on a sample of the mother's venous blood
- HBsAg (Hepatitis B)
- HBcore total (Hepatitis B)
- Anti-HCV (Hepatitis C)
- Anti HIV 1/2
- Syphilis
- Anti-HTLV 1/2
- Anti-CMV total (Cytomegalovirus)
In addition, a sample of the mother's blood is frozen and preserved to conduct additional testing before any clinical use of the cord blood unit.
Tests performed from cord blood
- Quantity of nuclear cells, including White Blood Cells (WBCs)
- CD34 - characterizes the number of stem cells in a cord blood unit
- Cell vitality
- Blood type
- Testing the presence of infections in the cord blood unit
The tests performed on the cord blood before any clinical use:
- Tissue classification (HLA)
- Colony forming unit (CFU) - testing the potential of stem cells to differentiate and reproduce
The period for preserving cord blood units
According to international procedures for cord blood banks, each must perform a stability test of the cord blood units frozen in its facility. Based on the results of the tests, determine an expiration date for the units kept in the bank that allows clinical use.
Storage of cord blood units - Cord blood units are stored in a protected and secure structure in dedicated nitrogen tanks connected to an alert system and monitored 24/7.
