Cord Blood Bank of Ankara

Public: Public
FACT: Public & Family

About

Bank Director: Prof. Meral Beksac, MD, PhD

Ankara University Cord Blood Bank (AUCBB) is the first and only unrelated cord blood bank in Turkey. Ankara University has been the pioneer in cord blood banking when the first storage was initiated in 1995. Following the first allogeneic sibling transplant in 1995, until 2010 when the new cord blood bank was constructed, only allogeneic sibling units were stored. With the construction of a GMP facility, which was approved by the national health authority in 2010, unrelated cord blood donations were made possible. The institutional function includes collection, cryopreservation, storage, selection, and release of cord blood units for unrelated or related cord blood stem cell transplantation purposes.

AUCBB is affiliated with the Ankara University Unrelated Donor (TRAN) and Cord Blood Registry (T1CB). Currently, there is no National Turkish Donor Registry. Ankara University Unrelated Donor Registry is one of the two donor registries recognized by the Health Authorities in Turkey (TRAN and TRIS). AUCBB is accredited by FACT for cord blood collection, banking, and release for administration of unrelated and related donations.