China's cord blood banks to advance research and treatment

China's seven provincial-level cord blood banks have jointly released an action plan aimed at expanding research and the clinical applications of cord blood.

The plan was announced at the 12th Cord Blood Symposium, held by the Chinese Maternal and Child Health Association in Beijing on Saturday. The participating banks — officially approved by the National Health Commission — are located in Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and the provinces of Guangdong, Shandong, Sichuan and Zhejiang.

Key initiatives in the plan include intensifying public awareness on cord blood and cell therapy, improving the quality of cord blood collection, and ensuring high standards in processing and cryopreservation. It also emphasizes continued promotion of cord blood in clinical settings, alongside advancing research and applications at medical and scientific institutions.

Cord blood, collected from a newborn's umbilical cord shortly after birth, holds significant potential in treating various diseases. Wei Xiaofei, an official from the cord blood bank of Beijing, said China has over 30 years of experience in cord blood storage and application. The seven official banks have collectively stored more than 2.45 million units of cord blood and released over 45,000 units for clinical use.

"The action plan enables the seven cord blood banks to leverage their respective strengths, collaborate on targeted research, develop high-quality solutions, and jointly accelerate the translation of scientific achievements into clinical practice," he said.

Sun Zimin, a professor from the Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, said cord blood can now be used to treat nearly 80 diseases, including leukemia, aplastic anemia, immunodeficiency disorders, genetic metabolic diseases, and certain neurological conditions. She added that through optimizing pretreatment and supportive care, the stable engraftment rate of cord blood transplantation in clinical practice has risen to over 97 percent.

Sun stressed the importance of establishing larger and higher-quality public cord blood banks to provide lifesaving opportunities for more patients, especially those in urgent need of a transplant who are unable to find a suitable match.