The Hellenic Cord Blood Bank (HCBB) operates within BRFAA and is the first bank in Greece that supports unrelated allogenic transplantation. In July 2011, HCBB sent the first unit of umbilical cord blood for use outside of Greece.  The tissue-compatible unit was sought after for an adult male patient at the Children’s Hospital of Manchester UK, who was diagnosed with leukemia. The unit was found after searches from the UK Bone Marrow Database, the World Bone Marrow Donor Association, and then finally found in the database of the Greek National Transplantation Organization at HCBB.

Since January 2006, the HCBB became Associate Member of the international NetCord Foundation. In January of 2006, the HCBB listed the first 100 cord blood units to the international registry of NetCord and from 2007, nine units have already been released for transplantation at the Children’s Hospital of Agia Sophia. The invaluable gift of life given by Greek cord blood donors has crossed national borders through the Greek National Transplantation Organization at HCBB, and has given hope to patients abroad.

http://hcbb.bioacademy.gr