The National Cord Blood Inventory (NCBI) is included in the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005, Public Law 109-129 (Stem Cell Act 2005) and the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Reauthorization Act of 2010, Public Law 111-264 (Stem Cell Act 2010). The NCBI portion of the Stem Cell Acts of 2005 and 2010 provides some funding for the collection and storage of at least 150,000 cord blood units. These cord blood units will be available through the C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program (Program) to treat patients who need an umbilical cord blood or bone marrow transplant.
Cord blood banks receiving an NCBI contract to help add at least 150,000 cord blood units will:
- Encourage more cord blood donations, with special emphasis on parents of racially or ethnically diverse backgrounds.
- Collect and store cord blood units and make them available through the Program.
- Ensure the cord blood units are of high-quality and meet specified criteria such as having a certain number of blood-forming cells. Cord blood units that do not meet these criteria may be available for research studies intended to improve patient outcomes.
- Protect the rights of donating mothers by obtaining consent to donate from the mother and maintaining confidentiality of the mother and baby.
- Provide cord blood unit data to the Program's Stem Cell Therapeutic Outcomes Database contractor.
Learn more about the NCBI Program Contractors.
