It was found that the total number of cases of "cord blood transplantation", in which "cord blood" collected from the umbilical cord is transplanted to patients with leukemia, has exceeded 20,000 cases nationwide.
As bone marrow transplantation becomes difficult due to the effects of the new coronavirus, the number of people who want it has increased, and last year was the highest number in the past.
Cord blood is the blood contained in the umbilical cord and placenta, which is collected at 97 medical institutions affiliated with six public "cord blood banks" nationwide and used for treatment to be transplanted to patients with leukemia and the like. I will.
According to the Japanese Red Cross Society, cord blood transplantation was first performed in Japan in 1997, and it was found that the number of cases exceeded 20,000 in 17 days.
Bone marrow transplantation has been mainly used for the treatment of leukemia, but last year it was difficult to visit a medical institution to donate bone marrow due to the influence of the new corona, so the preserved cord blood The number of cases of requesting transplantation using cord blood has increased, and the number of cord blood transplants has reached a record high of 1496 in one year.
On the other hand, the number of births tends to decrease due to corona sickness, and it is an issue to secure stable umbilical cord blood.
Kayoko Matsumoto, director of the "Chubu Cord Blood Bank" in Seto City, Aichi Prefecture, said, "The results of cord blood transplantation are improving year by year, and due to the influence of corona, I think it will become even more important. I want to increase the number of cord blood and secure umbilical cord blood. "