New York State guidelines for cord blood banking

In response to the profound interest in the transplantation of umbilical cord blood, the New York State (NYS) Department of Health embarked on a regulatory strategy designed to provide guidance to the practitioner while allowing for the flexibility required by the inherent developmental nature of the technology. The result was the development of the Guidelines for Collection, Processing, and Storage of Cord Blood Stem Cells, adherence to which is optional, It is anticipated that through the use of such guidelines as a supplement to the existing hematopoietic progenitor cell (HPC) regulations for tissue banks, practitioners may provide to potential patients the safest and most efficacious cord blood products currently available, and information gained through the use of these products will be of optimal value toward the goal of continuous improvement in the delivery of this new technology.