A Timely CIBMTR Analysis of How Cryopreservation Impacts Allogeneic Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation to Apply in the COVID Era

At several critical stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, transplant centres have embraced the practice of universal cryopreservation of unrelated allogeneic stem cell products. Cryopreservation of products prior to initiating the conditioning regimen provides assurance that the product is available before committing patients to high dose chemotherapy and immune suppression. Indeed, it remains astounding that collecting cells from allogeneic donors, whether related or unrelated, and whether from down the road or across the world, remains feasible at all given issues with stay-at-home orders, international and regional travel restrictions, issues with access to hospitals, donor fears of interfacing with health care systems, and transplant centres facing the dilemma of starting patients on treatment when ICUs, blood banks and hospital services are stretched thin or even overwhelmed.
Source: Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation - Category: Hematology Authors: Tags: The Bottom Line Source Type: research