Cryoma Labs

Stem cell storage- would you pay for this?? I am tempted to do this?

Jul 31, 2007 by drinkingpippin | Posted in Biology

I am just wondering if any other expectant mums out there have heard of this....the blood taken from your babies umbilical cord before being thrown away, I have looked on the cells4life website and it sounds really interesting and a brilliant idea as the blood they collect and store for your baby, the cells can be used to replace damaged or abnormal blood cells as part of the treatment of some malignant blood disorders, such as leukaemia, as an alternative to bone marrow transplantation. The potential benefits of stem cell transplantation are that the cells are immediately available. Also help regenerate skin through burns and things like multiple sclerosis, stroke and alzheimers. It is expensive to do as the premium package costs £1500 and they store the cells for 25 yrs, thereafter you pay a yearly fee. Or £995 for a years storage and collection and after the year it is £50 per year. What do you think about this? Serious answers only plz

My wife and I are expecting (due in a couple of weeks now) and we seriously looked into this.

I think that it is a really good idea. There are so many potential benefits, and the only real "risk" is the initial cost. And - like someone else pointed out - raising a child is expensive anyway, so what's an extra £1500? Think of it as "extra health insurance" costing £60/year.

In fact, we had determined we were going to go ahead with it, but then we encountered a problem:
The hopsital we are using refused to let us.
The Royal College of Midwives will not permit it, because they do not see any proven benefit. And they will not allow an external phlebotomist (who can be provided by the cells4life company) to perform the proceedure in their hospital, on insurance grounds.

We actually read up on the NHS policy, and it really annoyed me. Because they say all of the above reasons. And *then* they say that they *will* allow it under the sole circumstances of a couple who have conceived a second child to try and obtain stem cells for a terminally ill older child!
I mean - doesn't this mean that they *do* in fact think that the Umbilical Stem Cells will work in cell-therapies, at least some of the time? So why not allow a "just in case" if people want to pay for it?

I think that the policy on this needs seriously looked into.

Information on stem cell storage?

Oct 02, 2008 by Loval | Posted in Biology

I would like to know about the companies that deal with stem cell storage, my wife is due for delivery early 2009

India's first private cord blood stem cell bank, 'Lifecell' has been launched in Chennai and planning to set up in Hyderabad and Bangalore by the end of this year

But it is not only from embryos that stem cells can be gathered and used. There are three sources from which stem cells can be derived- embryonic, adult and umbilical cord.

Lifesaving umbilical cord stem cells

The umbilical cord, connecting the foetus with the mother is cut at the time of delivery and discarded. Cord blood (the remaining blood in the umbilical cord) is full of 'stem cells' which is the origin of the body's immune and blood system.



Based on this and other successful transplants, doctors and medical researchers began to collect, freeze and store cord blood units at cord banks throughout the world to treat several ailments and save lives.
Research is also going on to treat diseases like stroke, Alzheimer's, multiplesclerosis, lupus and diabetes by transplanting cord blood stem cells.

A bank for cord blood stem cells

Cord stem cell preservation consists of collecting the 'leftover' umbilical cord blood from the placenta and umbilical cord after the baby is delivered and the cord is cut.

This blood is sent to a bank where it is processed and preserved by freezing them in liquid nitrogen at a temperature of -195 degree celsius.

Many clinical studies showed that unrelated cord blood transplantation is safe and is an acceptable alternative to bone marrow transplantation for many patients. However, the studies also found that, as with bone marrow transplants, patients who receive cord blood from siblings or related donors generally have higher survival rates than those who receive cord blood from unrelated donors.

Researchers say that collecting and preserving a baby's cord blood stem cells would be a security blanket for the baby and his family members. In fact, it is estimated that the probability of a need for cord blood stem cells arising within a family is as high as 1/1,500.

Cord stem cell bank in India

In this backdrop, the launch of a cord stem cell private bank in India assumes great significance.

According to Dr Saranya, medical director of 'Lifecell', parents who are expecting a baby can register with the organisation by paying a one time fee of Rs 59,900.

The family can preserve the cord blood cells from the umbilical cord for 21 years at the private bank, 'Lifecell'. Alternatively, they can pay a sum of Rs 29,000 and a yearly fee of Rs 2,900 for storing the cells for 21 years.

Out of the 100 cord blood stem cells banks all over the world, 75 are public banks. Dr Shanta, director of the Adyar Cancer Institute urged Asia Cryo-Cell not to restrict their activities to private members alone. "There are thousands of people in India, mainly among the poor, who need such transplants. If the cord blood stem cell bank is of no use to such people and if organisations restrict their activities only to private citizens, what is the use of technology coming to India?" Dr Shanta asks.

The company assures that it would to open a public stem bank in the near future. "Talks are on between Asia Cryo Cell and CCI, Florida to start a public cord blood stem cells bank which would serve the needy," says vice-chairman of Asia Cryo Cell, Abhaya Kumar said.
If the public cord blood stem cell bank becomes a reality, it would save the lives of many patients in India.

i want to know about stem cell storage for my baby's cord blood from cryobanks international-gurgaon.?

Jan 18, 2010 by rakesh k | Posted in Cancer

i came to know that cord blood stem cells can help to treat 75 disorders.

Are you advertising this company?

A Documentary on Stem Cells Banking by Narayana Hrudayalaya Hospital

Narayana Hrudayalaya Tissue Bank and Stem Cell Research Centre(NHTB-SCRC) is a private cord blood bank established by Narayana Hrudayalaya ...

Beike opens China stem cell storage and processing site

by nick.taylor@decisionnews.com

China has identified stem cell research as an area that it can become a global leader in and is willing to invest to make this happen. Beike is a beneficiary of this policy, receiving support from Jiangsu government-backed China Medical City (CMC) to establish the stem cell site.

The 20,000 sq m site, called the Stem Cell Regenerative Medicine Industrial Facility of National Bio-Industry Base (NBPD), forms part of a multi-stage project to give China a central research zone.

Industry partnerships form part of this strategy. The NBPD gives Beike the capacity to process and store 1m stem cell samples, making it the largest facility of its type according to the company. This represents a significant expansion on Beike’s earlier 1,800 sq m, 100,000 sample site.

Beike broke ground on the new site in April 2009 and now it is operational, ahead of schedule, researchers will begin work. Using the processing, storage and clinical application development capabilities Beike intends to “ produce the highest quality stem cell therapies ” in the world.

" Stem cells are the crown jewel of medical research ", explained Ying Song, the site’s vice president for medical, scientific and regulatory affairs. Song added research at the site will serve as a model for scientists around the world.

The goals

To advance stem cell research three main goals have been established for the site. Firstly, the facility will be involved in adult stem cell collection and storage. This will be supported by the establishment of international standards, such as ISO9001 certification.

By forming these working processes and infrastructure Song believes the site can work towards its third main goal – to patent and develop stem cell therapies into clinical practice.

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Source: Beike opens China stem cell storage and processing site