The ethical and regulatory aspects of umbilical cord blood banking

Abstract

During the past thirty years, since the first efficacious umbilical cord blood transplantation in 1988, huge advances have been made in this field. The perception of cord blood has changed dramatically, namely from “biological waste” to a valuable resource of huge potential. However, one must acknowledge that the need to distinguish between the verified uses of cord blood transplantation and the hype created by the potential future uses must be clearly outlined. This change observed in the area of cord blood banking, has inevitably brought with it the need to collect and adequately store this resource. Public and private cord blood banks have since been established worldwide with the aim to provide this service. The main difference between the two banks is that public banks rely on free cord blood donation whilst private banks involve remunerated storage of cord blood for future personal or familial use only. Undoubtedly, the field of cord blood banking gives rise to numerous ethical challenges. The management of a biological resource by for-profit companies is at the centre of such ethical concerns. The ethical principles relevant to the area of cord blood banking will be discussed in this dissertation. Moreover, the need for standardization and regulation in cord blood banking is of paramount importance in order to ensure that the cord blood units are of high quality and fit for transplantation. Ultimately, established national and international legal frameworks are required in order to prevent cord blood exploitation, guarantee fair access to cord blood units in public banking as well as ensure appropriate regulation of the private market of cord blood banking. The Opinions of the National and European Bioethics Committees as well as the various European regulatory frameworks will be outlined in the dissertation.