ImmuneBridge and Bloodworks Bio Partner to Expand Use of Cord Blood for Cell Therapies
ImmuneBridge and Bloodworks Bio Partner to Expand Use of Cord Blood for Cell Therapies
SAN FRANCISCO — November 3, 2026
ImmuneBridge is partnering with Bloodworks Bio, the biomedical research division of Bloodworks Northwest. The partnership gives ImmuneBridge access to optimal cord blood units from the first and only public cord blood bank in the Pacific Northwest.
Starting with the right cells
High cost, source variability, and poor manufacturability are among the biggest barriers keeping cell therapies from the patients who need them. ImmuneBridge addresses all of these issues with their novel manufacturing platform: the company uses machine learning-powered donor screening to identify optimal cord blood units, and then grows stem cells from young, healthy umbilical cord blood using proprietary expansion technology – enabling the company to manufacture high-quality immune cells at commercial scale and low cost.
Bloodworks’ contribution of research-grade and clinical-grade cord blood units and samples strengthens that effort, supporting research that could help improve donor selection, increase cell potency, and enable broader production of therapeutic cells across immune lineages.
“Cell therapies are only as good as the cells you use to build them. Bloodworks gives us reliable access to high-quality cord blood from a partner that has long served the transplant and cell therapy fields, so we can keep building cell therapies that are consistent, scalable and affordable.” — Nina Horowitz, PhD, CEO of ImmuneBridge
A trusted partner in cord blood
Bloodworks Northwest has served the cell therapy and transplant fields for more than 30 years through its Cord Blood Program and its cell therapy and transplant support services. It operates the first and only public cord blood bank in the Pacific Northwest, with 7 partner hospitals in Western Washington and 5 more in collaboration with the Hawaii Cord Blood Bank. The program has banked more than 14,000 units for transplant and sent more than 1,350 to patients in need. Blood-forming stem cells collected by the program are made available to patients worldwide through NMDP; units that don’t meet banking requirements are made available for research.
“We’re proud to support research by providing cord blood units that can help accelerate scientific progress and development of new therapies.” — Andrea Bradford, Director of Advanced Therapies at Bloodworks Bio
Extending the impact of public cord blood donation
This collaboration broadens the impact of every public cord blood donation. Cord blood units that aren’t a match for transplant patients can now support next-generation research, and potentially be used to manufacture advanced therapies for thousands of patients.
By providing reliable access to cord blood units, the partnership helps create the conditions for faster innovation and broader therapeutic impact for people living with cancer, autoimmune disorders, fibrosis, and other diseases. Together, ImmuneBridge and Bloodworks are helping unlock a more scalable and accessible future for cell therapy.
About ImmuneBridge
ImmuneBridge is building a world where high-quality cell therapies can be rapidly designed and easily manufactured at commercial scale and ultralow cost. Its platform screens and manufactures high-quality allogeneic immune cells from umbilical cord blood stem cells, integrating machine learning advances with proprietary stem cell expansion technology. ImmuneBridge is based in San Francisco. Learn more at immunebridge.com, or reach out to hello@immunebridge.com to collaborate.
About Bloodworks Bio
Bloodworks Northwest provides a lifesaving blood supply and vital services to 95% of Pacific Northwest hospitals. Since 1944, Bloodworks has served the Pacific Northwest as a local, nonprofit, independent, volunteer-supported and community-based blood center and research institute. Our Bloodworks Bio division offers a complete ecosystem of blood-based biological products and cellular therapy to support global biomedical research and discoveries. As experts in all things blood, Bloodworks Bio’s vision is to accelerate discoveries by providing comprehensive blood products, cord blood, manufacturing services, and quality support for our biomedical and research partners in support of their research, clinical and commercial programs. For more information, visit bloodworksbio.org.