The birth of a baby is the start of a new life, but it can also be a life-saving opportunity for families with an existing medical need.

As a public service, CBR provides the Designated Treatment Program to families wishing to store their newborns’ umbilical cord blood stem cells for a family member diagnosed with a life-threatening disease that is treatable with stem cells.  New this year, CBR will also store the cord tissue for families who qualify, in addition to the cord blood.  Cord tissue is a rich source of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). MSCs from other cell sources have been shown to enhance the engraftment capacity of cord blood stem cells in transplant applications. If eligible, CBR will supply the collection kit and will process and store a newborn’s cord blood and cord tissue free of charge.

This community service program allows families, regardless of their financial situation, to have access to genetically related stem cells. In transplant medicine, using your own family’s cord blood can have significant advantages over unrelated sources of stem cells, including fewer complications and improved medical outcomes.(1,2)

How to Qualify
The oncologist or other attending physician must agree that the stem cells may be used for treatment,
and the designated recipient must:
• Be diagnosed with a disease currently treatable with a donor stem cell transplant
• Be a full sibling or parent to the newborn donor—a first-degree blood relative
• Be living in the United States
• Have an active disease or be in recent remission

At no cost, CBR provides all families who meet the eligibility criteria with:
• A collection kit
• Processing
• Five years of storage of the newborn’s stem cells

The only cost to families enrolled in the Designated Treatment Program (DTP) is a $150 shipping fee.

Click here for a list of diseases treated using stem cells including those eligible for the DTP. For more information on the DTP, please contact Cord Blood Registry at 1-888-932-6568.

(1) Gluckman E, et al. Outcome of cord-blood transplantation from related and unrelated donors. Eurocord Transplant Group and the European Blood and Marrow Transplantation Group. N Engl J Med. 1997;337(6):373-381.
(2) Bizzetto R, et al. Outcomes after related and unrelated umbilical cord blood transplantation for hereditary bone marrow failure syndromes other than Fanconi anemia. Haematologica. 2011;96(1):134-141.