HLA Matching - Unrelated Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation

The aim of this protocol is to clarify the role of HLA matching in unrelated umbilical cord blood (UCB) transplantation and to identify the level of HLA matching required assuring successful outcome of unrelated UCB transplantation.

The study will answer the following questions:

1. Is HLA matching beneficial to unrelated UCB transplantation?
2. Which HLA loci, HLA-A, B, C, DRB1, or BQB1 is/are important to math, or alternatively to mismatch, to improve graft survival?
3. Which HLA loci, HLA-A, B, C, DRB1, or BQB1 mismatches is/are "permissive mismatches" or well tolerated mismatches?
4. What level of typing resolution (low, intermediate, or hgh) is required to perform patient/donor H:A matching?

By studying the cells and blood of donors and recipients, we may learn more about improving the tissue matching between unrelated donors and their recipients. Also, we hope to learn if an additional level of matching testing improves the results of the transplant treatment. Increasing knowledge about tissue matching could result in the improved long-term survival of cord blood transplant recipients.