PBSC Collection and Storage

Peripheral blood stem cells are collected by a process similar to platelet collection called apheresis. The donor - which can be the patient or someone else - will have a needle in each arm or a vascular access device, also known as a central line. Blood is removed from one arm and filtered through the apheresis or "cell separator" machine. The stem cells are separated out and the remaining blood components (platelets, plasma, red blood cells) returned to the donor's other arm. The collection lasts approximately two to five hours. The procedure is done on an outpatient basis and may require one to four collections to harvest the number cells necessary for transplantation. Some donors receive a drug to stimulate cell production, (e.g. G-CSF) prior to and during the collections in order to improve the number of cells collected and possibly reduce the number of collections.

Common side effects of apheresis include nausea, dizziness, coldness, drop in blood pressure or an adverse reaction to solutions utilized during the procedure. One of the most common side effects reported is tingling or numbness of the lips, nose and fingers which is usually relieved by chewing TUMS or receiving an intravenous calcium replacement. Although rare, as with any procedure, serious complications may occur. 

After collection Peripheral Blood Stem Cells are immediately cryopreserved or frozen and stored until the day of transplantation. 

Umbilical Cord Blood

Blood contained in the placenta and umbilical cord of newborns is providing a rich source of stem cells to many patients who previously had no options. Cord blood contains significant numbers of stem cells and has advantages over bone marrow or adult stem cell transplantation for certain patients. 

Umbilical cord blood makes use of a waste product from the birth process, and provides a new source of stem cells for patients in need of transplant. 

Umbilical Cord Blood Collection and Storage

Cord blood collection is generally performed in two ways. First, umbilical cords are routinely clamped  following the vaginal birth of a baby. The baby is then removed and the placenta is placed in a sterile container with the umbilical cord exposed outside the container. The cord is then cleaned with sterile solutions, and a needle is inserted into the umbilical vein. There are two arteries and one vein in a healthy umbilical cord. The cord blood is withdrawn via the needle into a blood collection bag containing a solution to keep the blood from clotting (anticoagulant). Blood is then collected via gravity into a sterile bag, that will be used for freezing and storage.

Another method involves collection of the cord blood immediately after the delivery of the child, while the placenta is still in the mother. This method usually results in a larger yield of cord blood, but is more intrusive to the mother. After collection, the bag of cord blood is immediately transported to a facility for testing and cryopreservation. Tests performed at the time of preservation are tissue typing ( a process called HLA-typing) to facilitate matching to potential recipients, as well as testing for infectious diseases such as the AIDS virus, hepatitis viruses, and cytomegalovirus. The cord blood unit is then frozen and preserved for later use.

Umbilical Cord Blood Banks

In an effort to increase the availability of suitable donors and improve outcomes with allogeneic transplantation, researchers both nationally and internationally have been investigating umbilical cord blood as an alternative source of stem cells for transplantation. Due to the early successes with umbilical cord blood from sibling donors, unrelated cord blood banks have been initiated in New York, Milan, Dusseldorf, Paris, and London.

This page was last edited on 04/26/2007

Written by Katie Mullaly, RN, MSN cancerpage.com
Edited by Rachael Myers Lowe, cancerpage.com