27 years and counting 

A new study shows cord blood stem cell remain viable after 27 years of cryogenic storage. The research, conducted at the US based laboratory of the late cord blood pioneer Hal Broxmeyer, extends the facility’s previous findings on cord blood’s longevity, when tested at 5, 10, 15, and 23.5 years. See the study here.

According to the Parent Guide to Cord Blood Banking, there is a growing body of evidence supporting the view that cord blood, when properly cryopreserved, does not age.  In addition, cord blood stored for around 20 years is increasingly being used in life saving transplants.

In May 2023 a report at the 10th Cord Blood Conference of the China Maternal and Child Health Association detailed the successful treatment of a young adult in China for aplastic anemia using their own cord blood, which had been stored for 19 years. Read his story here.