Our post storage activities are geared around the provision of clinical units. This is to ensure transplant centres receive the best products for their patients and that the umbilical cord blood units (CBU) are appropriately characterised and contain maximal viable allogeneic stem cells. The ANCTC is integrated with the Anthony Nolan Donor Registry, uniquely utilising the electronic database that enables search and match operations for unrelated CB units. The ANCTC obtains a written or electronic request from the transplant physician, designee, or Registry for shipment of the CB unit. Then a designee reviews the record of each CB unit before its release including processing, test results and medical history documentation.
Shipment of clinical cord blood utilises cryoshippers. The cryoshipper is designed for the safe transportation of biological samples at cryogenic temperatures (-150°C or colder). It is made from durable lightweight aluminium, containing a hydro-phobic absorbent lining that soaks in the liquid nitrogen for "spill-free" shipping. The cryoshipper has a protective outer container, which gives the shipment a ‘non-hazardous’ classification. The vessel is under a slight vacuum and is sensitive to be being tipped therefore it must be shipped upright or the unit inside will defrost. The cryoshipper has a temperature logger built into the lid. This ‘ShipsLog’ is an online monitoring system of temperature history for samples in liquid Nitrogen Vapour Shippers. It provides traceability for the temperature of the samples, and can alarm during the transit period so that the receiver can be alerted if the shipment was nonconforming.
Research cords are shipped to service users in more appropriate conditions such as ‘fresh’, on dry ice or at 4°C by commercial couriers.
- If you are a healthcare professional wishing to source umbilical cord blood for allogeneic stem cell transplantation, please contact our
Operations Department.
Any suitable Anthony Nolan banked cord blood will be listed on search reports provided. We will continue to import cord blood from other established international cord blood banks as required.
- If you are from an (European based) academic research departments/university, the NHS, private/public healthcare providing organisation; pharmaceutical company, biotechnology company, government agency or from another healthcare charity, and are interested in sourcing cord bloods for research, please contact us. Our Cell Therapy Centre facility manager can send you an application pack. Email
susana.gomez@anthonynolan.org or call +44 (0)115 848 8093.