A novel method to expand large numbers of CD56+ natural killer cells from a minute fraction of selectively accessed cryopreserved cord blood for immunotherapy after transplantation

We have developed and optimized a strategy to selectively access a small fraction from cryopreserved UCB and show that large numbers of CD56+ cells can be expanded from this selectively accessed fraction. This strategy presents a method to explore whether early adoptive transfer of NK cells expanded from the same UCB unit used for transplantation can prevent leukemic relapse and decrease graft-versus-host disease after UCBT.