More than 500,000 cord blood samples stored by the Cord Blood Europe members

Cord Blood Europe is proud to announce the milestone of more than 500,000 cord blood samples stored by its member companies.

"This achievement confirms the contribution that Family Cord Blood Banks make to the European
cord blood stem cell repository and, indeed, to national health systems and patients in need. It also brings along an ever-rising sense of responsibility towards promoting high quality standards, objective information to parents and their freedom of choice, as well as finding best ways to ensure sufficient availability of cord blood samples for both autologous and allogeneic uses", says Mr. Marc Waeterschoot, Vice - President of Cord Blood Europe. 

These important elements have been reaffirmed on 11 September when the Plenary of the European Parliament adopted the Report on Voluntary and Unpaid Donation of Tissues and Cells by UK MEP Marina Yannakoudakis. The Report recognises the significant scientific advances made in the field of cord blood and regrets that only 1 % of the total births in the EU also result in the preservation of the umbilical cord blood stem cells. 

Cord Blood Europe welcomes the Resolution's call for more cooperation between public and private cord blood stem cell banks and for a regulatory framework in the member states which ensures that banks operate in a highly transparent and safe way. Such initiatives would increase availability of high quality cord blood stem cell samples for both autologous and allogeneic transplantations.  

Cord Blood Europe continues its dialogue with European and national institutions to explore
possibilities for different types of co-operation, as the increasing number of samples stored by family cord blood banks in Europe probably offers some good potential for patients in Europe waiting to be treated.

Cord Blood Europe is the European Association of family cord blood banks. Its mission is to promote awareness about the advantages of adult stem cells in Europe and to increase the storage of stem cells and to encourage storage of cord blood stem cells at birth in Europe. Cord Blood Europe provides a platform of co-operation and exchange of best practices in the field of stem cell storage and regenerative medicines. The association contributes to a harmonized regulatory framework of European policies on cells and tissues.