First come first served at Iran’s national cord blood bank
The Blood Transfusion Organization (BTO) of Iran, home to the nation’s only free umbilical cord blood bank, is working in collaboration with six hospitals in Tehran to collect and store cord blood, a valuable source of stem cells, according to Nasim Ezzati, head of the Cord Blood Bank and Stem Cells Group of the BTO.
Ezzati underscored the importance of the cord blood bank, which provides reserves to patients across the country at no cost, IRNA reported.
The hospitals involved in this initiative include Najmiyeh, Baqiyatallah, Milad, Parsa, Sarem, and Mostafa Khomeini.
"Instead of discarding this invaluable resource, expectant mothers can donate it to the National Cord Blood Bank,” Ezzati said. “This donation can then be used to treat children and adults suffering from malignancies and diseases that can only be cured with stem cells, particularly those derived from umbilical cord blood."
However, Ezzati noted that the donation is contingent upon giving birth in one of the six cooperating hospitals. This is due to the specialized conditions under which cord blood must be collected to ensure its quality is preserved.
The BTO’s cord blood bank stores these donations for public use, with neither the donor nor the recipient incurring any costs. Ezzati emphasized the distinction between the BTO’s cord blood bank and private banks.
"In the BTO’s cord blood bank, the first eligible patient can use the donated cells,” Ezzati explained. “In contrast, in private banks, only the donor and their family can use the stored stem cells."
This initiative underscores the BTO’s commitment to providing life-saving treatments to patients across Iran, regardless of their financial circumstances.