Cord Blood Cord Blood Registry and Donation 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary difference between public and private cord blood banking?
- Public banks are operated by for-profit companies; private banks are government-funded
- Public banks store donations altruistically for any matched patient at no charge; private banks store cord blood exclusively for family use at a fee (Correct answer)
- Public banks only accept donations from minority populations
- Private banks share units with public registries automatically
Correct answer: Public banks store donations altruistically for any matched patient at no charge; private banks store cord blood exclusively for family use at a fee
Public cord blood banks accept altruistic donations that are made available to any patient needing a transplant, while private banks store cord blood exclusively for the donating family's potential future use at an annual storage fee.
Question 2: What is Be The Match and what is its role in cord blood transplantation in the US?
- A private cord blood bank selling storage services
- The registry operated by the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) that maintains listings of available cord blood units for transplant matching (Correct answer)
- A fertility clinic specializing in cord blood therapy
- A cord blood collection service operating in hospitals
Correct answer: The registry operated by the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) that maintains listings of available cord blood units for transplant matching
Be The Match is the registry operated by the NMDP that maintains the largest database of volunteer marrow donors and cord blood units available for US patients needing transplants.
Question 3: Approximately how many cord blood units are stored in public banks globally as of recent estimates?
- About 10,000 units
- About 100,000 units
- Over 800,000 units (Correct answer)
- Over 10 million units
Correct answer: Over 800,000 units
Global public cord blood banks collectively hold over 800,000 units, with the United States maintaining a significant share through the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program.
Question 4: What is the typical annual cost range for private cord blood banking in the United States?
- Free of charge
- $50–$100 per year
- $150–$300 per year for storage plus an upfront collection fee of $1,500–$2,500 (Correct answer)
- $10,000–$20,000 per year
Correct answer: $150–$300 per year for storage plus an upfront collection fee of $1,500–$2,500
Private cord blood banking typically involves an initial collection and processing fee of $1,500–$2,500 plus annual storage fees of approximately $150–$300 per year.
Question 5: What federal legislation established the US national cord blood inventory and funded public cord blood banking?
- The Affordable Care Act
- The C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program (Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act) (Correct answer)
- The CARES Act
- The National Organ Transplant Act
Correct answer: The C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program (Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act)
The C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program, established by the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005, funds the US national cord blood inventory and the Be The Match registry.
Question 6: Which US federal agency regulates cord blood banks as biological products requiring licensure?
- The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (Correct answer)
- The DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration)
- The CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)
Correct answer: The FDA (Food and Drug Administration)
The FDA regulates cord blood under 21 CFR Part 1271 (human cells, tissues, and cellular and tissue-based products) and requires public cord blood banks to be licensed as biological product manufacturers.
Cord Blood Cord Blood Registry and Donation 1
What is the primary difference between public and private cord blood banking?