The NMDP Cord Blood registry is organized as a network of member cord blood banks and transplant centers whose interactions are managed by the NMDP's Center for Cord Blood. Banks agree to comply with uniform collection, screening, testing and storage requirements. Upon approval of membership, cord blood banks submit detailed information on each stored CBU for registration into a proprietary computer system. A transplant center, working on behalf of potential recipients, submits search requests to the NMDP and receives electronic reports detailing potentially suitable CBUs. From these reports, the transplant center selects a CBU(s) for further testing, which includes at a minimum confirmation of the CBUs Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) typing data. Upon final selection of the desired CBU for transplantation, arrangements are made for timely shipment of the unit to the transplant center. Following transplantation, recipient outcome data are submitted by the transplant center for addition to the study database.
