Umbilical cord blood transplant--will it change the medical scenario in Malaysia?

Umbilical Cord Blood Transplant (UCBT) is a type of allogenic haematopoetic stem cell transplant. Stem cell transplantation as a mode of treatment of diseases was first successfully done by the pioneering work of a Nobel Prize Winner in Physiology or Medicine, E. Donnall Thomas in 1957. Throughout the past 50 years, numerous other researchers have improved the techniques of this previously highly risky procedure. Among the notable landmark in haematopoetic stem cell transplant include: advancement in immunogenetics of HLA, better immunosuppressive preparative regimen, improved control of infections, appearance of donor registries throughout the world and successful transplantation stories using haematopoetic stem cells from peripheral blood and the cord blood. These developments lead to a change in terminology from marrow transplantation to haematopoetic stem cell transplantation .