THE BANKS OF UMBILICAL CORD BLOOD: BIOMEDICAL AND BIOETHICAL ISSUES

This paper deals with the actuality of the Umbilical Cord Blood Banks (UCBB). Its aim is to offer the necessary notions for the understanding of their nature and of the ethical problems which they carry associated. In order to do this it will lean, on one hand, on the actual bibliography about blood of the umbilical cord and its present and future applications, and on the other hand, on the document of the European Group of Ethics where this issue is discussed. It is of special interest here the existence of the banks called "autologous" that, for some authors, seem to contradict the principle of solidarity. This work will examine, amidst others, this question, and it will suggest a solution articulating both "liberty" and "solidarity". Other topics such as respect to confidentiality, informed consent and integrity of the body will be approached.