Better match, better outcome: When it comes to UCB transplant, the precision of the match is important

For years, umbilical cord blood (UCB) transplant was considered an acceptable alternative unrelated donor graft for the treatment of leukemia including reconstituting a patient’s immune system. Typically UCB transplants could be performed without the worry of precise patient-donor HLA-compatibility. To date, more than 35,000 cord blood transplants have been conducted worldwide. As use of the…