Fanconi Anaemia

The condition is usually diagnosed in children between 2 and 15 years old. Person with Fanconi Anaemia is more likely to develop several types of blood disorders and cancers including leukaemia. Patients have lower-than-normal numbers of white blood cells (WBCs), red blood cells (RBCs) and platelets. Lack of WBCs can lead to infections.

The clinical and biological data presented show that the umbilical cord blood of a single newborn is sufficient to induce haematopoietic reconstitution. Patient with Fanconi Anaemia treated with umbilical cord blood cells shows that the blood-cell counts began to return to normal. Survival after transplantation of unrelated donor umbilical cord blood in three Fanconi Anaemia patients demonstrated UCB as an acceptable alternative to HLA-matched bone marrow transplantation for paediatric patients.