Cryopreservation for All Is No Option in Unrelated Stem Cell Transplantation. Comment on Dholaria B, et al. Securing the Graft During Pandemic: Are We Ready for Cryopreservation for All? Biol Blood Marrow Transplant. 2020;26:e145-e146.

Abstract

Dholaria et al [1] discuss the implications of 2 recent studies [2,3] analyzing the outcome of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) with cryopreserved products. The results are rather encouraging, with the exception of severe aplastic anemia, and the authors raise the question of whether we are “ready for cryopreservation for all.” The commentary largely overlooks the implications for unrelated donors and from the perspective of an unrelated stem cell donor registry, we would caution the transplantation community and answer this question with “no.” However, we point out a path that may in the future allow the interests of unrelated donors and patients with their physicians to be better reconciled.