AABB (Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies) is an international, not-for-profit organization representing individuals and institutions involved in the field of transfusion medicine and biotherapies.
The association works collaboratively to advance the field through the development and delivery of standards, accreditation and education programs. AABB is dedicated to its mission of improving lives by making transfusion medicine and biotherapies safe, available and effective worldwide.
The association was founded in the United States in 1947 as the American Association of Blood Banks.[1] In 2021, it changed its name to Association for the Advancement of Blood & Biotherapies to better reflect its mission and work.
Virtually all blood banks in the United States are accredited by AABB. In addition, AABB accredits hospital transfusion services, biotherapies facilities, cord blood banks, relationship testing facilities, and various other facilities whose work relates to blood and biotherapies.[1] Accreditation by AABB meets the requirements of the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) for blood bank, transfusion service, and immunohematology reference laboratory operations.[2]
AABB hosts an annual meeting every fall for the dissemination of research and information for the blood and biotherapies field. The association publishes a monthly magazine, a weekly newsletter, and a peer-reviewed research journal titled Transfusion.[3] AABB publishes a variety of other materials for the blood and biotherapies field, including the standards by which it accredits institutions.
Since 1953, the organization has also operated a National Blood Exchange to facilitate transfers of blood products during shortages or when rare blood types are required.
On June 1, 2018, Debra BenAvram, FASAE, CAE, became the association's chief executive officer (CEO).[4]
The AABB conducts assessments every two years of institutional member facilities that procure, process, store and/or distribute cellular therapy products to ensure they meet the association’s voluntary standards, including hematopoietic progenitor cell, umbilical cord blood stem cell, somatic cell product and clinical services facilities in the U.S. and worldwide that have earned AABB accreditation. Below are a list of Cell Therapy Cord Blood Facilities Accredited by the AABB in the United States:[5]
Americord Registry LLC, New York, NY
Bloodworks Northwest, Seattle, WA
California Cryobank Stem Cell Services LLC Dba FamilyCord, Tucson, AZ
CBR Systems, Inc., Tucson, AZ
Celularity, Inc, Florham Park, NJ
Cleveland Cord Blood Center, Cleveland, OH
Clinimmune Labs (CL), Aurora, CO
Cord For Life, Altamonte Springs, FL
Create Cord Blood Bank, Toronto, ON
Cryo-Cell International Inc., Oldsmar, FL
Cryopoint, LLC, Brownsburg, IN
Healthbanks Biotech, Irvine, CA
Insception Lifebank Cord Blood Program Insception Bioscience, Mississauga, ON
New England Cryogenic Center, Inc., Marlborough, MA
Norton Healthcare, Inc., Louisville, KY
Oneblood, Inc, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
San Diego Blood Bank, San Diego, CA
South Texas Blood & Tissue - Donor Pavilion, San Antonio, TX
Stem Cell Cryobank, Boynton Beach, FL
StemCyte Inc., Baldwin Park, CA
St. Louis Cord Blood Bank and Cellular Therapy Laboratory, Aurora, CO
University of Minnesota Medical Center Fairview Cell Therapy, St. Paul, MN
Versiti Blood Center of Michigan, Grand Rapids, MI
