Cord blood transplant uses stem cells collected from umbilical cord blood, stored in public or private cord blood banks, as an alternative source of donor stem cells when a fully matched donor is not available. Cord blood stem cells are less likely to cause severe immune reactions, making this option valuable for patients without a matched sibling or unrelated donor.
Cord blood transplant is considered when a patient needs a stem cell transplant but does not have a fully matched sibling or unrelated adult donor, particularly for certain leukemias, immune disorders, and inherited blood conditions, especially in children.