Stem Cell Banking in Mumbai uses Highest Quality Standards

Are Quality Standards Followed in India for Cord Blood Banking?

Parents are in India are under the impression that quality standards are not followed for cord blood collection, processing and stem cell banking in Mumbai and other cities. They feel that the methods used abroad are far superior. They are unaware that some companies have branches all over the world, and follow globally accepted standards. Here is a look at the quality you can expect in India…

Cord Blood Collection in India

Cord blood collection is done immediately after birth, and this procedure is usually quick and painless.

1. After the umbilical cord is cut, the blood is drawn out from the cord using a needle and a special collection bag.

2. All the equipment and tools used for collection are fresh and are not reused while collecting from other babies.

3. The sample collectors ensure that they maintain the highest hygiene standards throughout.

4. Sometimes, cord lining collection is also done, and many centers for stem cell banking in Mumbai and other cities in India offer this service as an extension of the blood collection process. A sterile container is used for collection of the umbilical cord.

5. A few cord blood banks have partnered with research institutes, so that they can use patented technology during cord blood extraction.

6. CellOptima™ is a proven technology that safely enables the extraction of cord blood cells and tissues.

Processing

Once collected, the samples are immediately processed. The stem cells are separated from the cord blood. This can then be stored and used for clinical procedures. The United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) says that the cord blood unit should ideally be reduced so that it has a low plasma and red blood cell count before being cryopreserved. A few centers for stem cell banking in Mumbai and other cities in India work with this standard. This reduces the chances of future complications.

Storage of Cells and Tissue

After processing, the unit is ready for cryopreservation. Irrespective of the manner in which the sample unit has been processed, a cryopreservant is added to it, to ensure that the cells are able to survive through the cryogenic process. The stems cells are cooled slowly until they reach a temperature of −90°C, after which they are transferred to a tank filled with liquid nitrogen. They are kept frozen at −196°C, until future use. Stem cell banking in Mumbai and other cities in India also follow this slow cooling process, which ensures that the samples are not compromised in any way.

Advantages of storing cord blood cells in a Stem Cell Bank

In today’s age, parents are becoming more and more informed about the right choices to make for their children. One of these choices is to make important decisions that may affect the future health of their children. Storing a child’s cord blood cells in a stem cell bank is one such decision. Stem cells are those unique cells which have the ability to convert into any kind of body cells, may it be brain cells, blood cells or even tissues.

Advantages of stem cell banking

These stem cells are used to cure more than 80 diseases some of them are life threatening like leukaemia, lymphoma and thalassemia. The biggest advantage of storing your child’s cord blood cells with a stem cell bank is that it not only helps in curing the donor but also its siblings or other family members if they prove to be a match. So for example it not only acts like an insurance against any future health problems the child may have but also help the grandparents of that child by treating their degenerative diseases like diabetes or osteoarthritis.

Earlier the umbilical cord was considered to be a biological waste. But now with increasing awareness, expectant parents are well aware of the miraculous benefits of stem cells. Although stem cells are extracted from adults too but the success rate of umbilical cord stem cells is much higher than an adult stem cell. Chances of an umbilical cord blood cell being accepted by the body are much more than that of an adult stem cell. Stem cells heal, repair and regenerate the old cells of the body giving the patient a chance to live a much healthier and longer life than before.

What is the procedure of stem cell banking?

Collection of umbilical cord blood cells is a very simple and harmless. It is a painless method. It is done immediately after the birth of the baby as any delay of more than a few minutes in collection of the blood leads to clotting and making the stem cells useless. The needle for collecting the sample is to be inserted in that part of the umbilical cord which is still connected to the placenta. Once the needle is inserted, after that it takes only about 10 minutes for the sample to be collected. Once the sample is collected it is immediately sent to a storage facility. The storage facility keeps the sample in a controlled environment under round the clock supervision of trained technical staff.

Stem cell banks are a good way of ensuring treatment of regenerative diseases like osteoarthritis. Presently, stem cells presently are being used to cure a multitude of diseases but researchers are hopeful that in future, stem cells will be used for the treatment of many more life threatening diseases and for common ailments too. Needless to say, stem cell banking is going to change the way medicine is practiced presently and will improve the quality and expectancy of human life.

Cord Stem Cell Banking- A lifesaver!

Cord stem cells come from the blood of a new-born’s umbilical cord. This blood is collected immediately after the birth of the baby. This blood is a rich source of the stem cells which are used to heal, repair and regenerate old cells of the body, thus ensuring that the patient goes on to live a much healthier and a longer life.

Cord stem cells vs adult stem cells

Cord stem cell banking although is a relatively new concept in India but it has become very popular amongst the young expectant parents. The parents are quickly realising that cord stem cell banking is like taking insurance for the future wellbeing of your child.

Cord stem cells are much younger biologically and much more flexible as compared to the adult stem cells. When cord stem cells are used for transplant, there are much less chances of complications as compared to the adult stem cells. Also, stem cells if donated earlier are very easily available to the donor even on a short notice. Once these cells are preserved, it prevents them from ageing and protects them from viruses and other environmental factors that can decrease their ability to function properly.

What is the procedure of cord stem cell banking?

Cord stem cell banking procedure is actually a very simple and painless process. In this, the blood is collected from that part of the umbilical cord which is still connected to the placenta. A needle is inserted in the umbilical cord and the blood sample is collected from there. The time taken for collection of the sample is only around 10 minutes. But special care is to taken regarding the time of collecting the sample as it should ideally be collected within the first few minutes after the delivery. If not collected immediately, the blood starts to clot and becomes virtually unusable. When the needle is inserted in the umbilical cord, it is no way near the baby and does not inconvenience the mother or the baby at all. Once the sample has been collected, it is immediately transferred to a storage facility where it is processed and preserved for future use.

Checklist for proper of storage of cord stem cells

There are a few important checks to be done to ensure that the storage facility chosen is correct or not for cord stem cell banking. One of the most important points is that the company chosen by the parents for preserving the stem cell sample of their child is certified, the facility should be using the latest technique for processing the cord blood and cord tissue. Secondly, the storage facility should be a storage as well as therapy providing company. Thirdly, the facility needs to preserve the blood samples in a controlled atmosphere. The storage facility needs to be monitored round the clock by a group of expert and experienced technicians. The facility should also be preferably in an area which is less prone to natural disasters. Also adequate measures should be taken to prevent damages by fire. The storage facility should also have power backup in case of a power failure. Once all these checks are in place the parents can rest assured that the future of their child is in safe hands.

Mumbai, the Chosen Stem Cell Banking Destination

Medical science has proved that stem cells if preserved in ideal conditions can be used for treatment of diseases in future. Though the concept has emerged from developed countries, India is not far behind. The importance of stem cell banking is more prevalent in developed cities. The main reason for preserving stem cells is their ability to regenerate various types of cells. Though human body has more than 100 types of cells the single most important cell is the stem cell. These stem cells are unspecialized cells capable of renewing themselves through cell division. This division can happen after a long period of inactivity too.

Needto preserve the stem cells

We need to preserve the stem cells to ensure their availability for treatment when needed. These cells have potential of developing into various types of cells during the entire lifetime. It has also been proven by medical science that stem cells have the capability to repair human body system without any limitation on their ability to replenish till the patient is alive.Further,it is also proven that under controlled conditions if preserved, these cells can be induced to become certain organ specific cells. Post division each stem cell has the potential to either remain as stem cell or become another cell with a particular function i.e. brain or blood or muscle cells.

Keeping this in mind, a number of stem cell banks have cropped up in Mumbai. As we know Mumbai is one of the most developed cities of India with latest amenities, un-interrupted power supply and a very good connectivity both within India and worldwide, it serves as an ideal location for the stem cell banks. The availability of state-of-the-art hospitals and highly qualified doctors has also led to spread of awareness amongst the general public for stem cell banking in Mumbai.

In addition to the medical awareness, the transportation infrastructure of the city has been a trigger for people opting for stem cell banking as they are sure that any part of the city can be reached even during emergency. In fact majority of Stem cell organization operating in India have their offices in Mumbai.It has been reported that a Mumbai couple changed their hospital just prior to delivery as the hospital was not equipped with facility to extract and preserve stem cells during delivery. This clearly shows the level of awareness about stem cell banking Mumbai.

This incident led to a large number of hospitals opting to tie up with stem cell banks or creating the facility for stem cell banking in Mumbai.Though stem cell banking is growing, the entire procedure costs more than Rs50000 and is still not within reach of majority of population. It is expected that with growing no of people opting to bank stem cellsin Mumbai, the cost is likely to come down. Further with the advent of technology, networking of hospitalsand medical institutionsand ever increasing infrastructure capabilitiespossible in city like Mumbai, we are witness to increase in number of stem cell banks across the city.

Understand the workings of a Stem Cell Bank

Human body consists of numerous cells. Each cell structure is designed to perform a particular function. To name a few we have nerve cells,blood cells, muscle cells etc. We can see that the basic fundamental unit of all living organisms is a cell. The most important cell present in a human body is stem cell.

What are stem cells?

Human body is made of various organs and systems. The fundamental unit of all living organisms isa cell. The most important of these cells are stem cells. Stem cells are unspecialized cells, capable of regenerating themselves through cell division and differentiation. This division can happen even after long period of inactivity. These cells have the potential of developing into various different types of cells during the lifetime.

It has also been proven that the stem cells have the capability to serve as repair system in many tissues without any limitation on their ability to replenish till such time the patient is alive.Similar to financial planning it is also important that one plans well for his or her health. Avery old saying “Health is wealth” needs no explanation. Accordingly medical science has done lot of research and found ways and means to store and save the stem cells so that the same can be used in future to cure any illness. The illness may be of an individual or sibling or family member or even others. In order to preserve these cells we have stem cell banks.

How does a Stem cell Bankoperate?

Similar to financial planning wherein one relies on bank during their rainy days, people in the developed and developing countries have adoptedstem cellbanking. Stemcell banking can be done regardless of one’s age so that the same can be used by an individual at the time of need for treatment of one’sillnesses. It is necessary and strongly recommended that stem cell banking is done at a younger age as like all other cells of body the adult stem cells will also age with time and have diminished impact in their ability to produce additional cells by division. In fact large no of people plan it even before the baby is born so that it is undertaken immediately post the birth of the child when the cells are in their purest form.

In the recent years with increasing medical awareness, stem cell banking has become a routine practice across the world. This is primarily due to the tremendous advantages that stem cells provide in treatment of diseases i.e. Diabetes, Parkinson disease and Cerebral Palsy etc. Stem cell bank allow people to store the stem cells so that the same can be preserved in controlled atmospheric conditions so as to make them available at the time of need. One can have tie up with banks so that these cells are available to others across globe in time of need.

Reasons Why Stem Cell Banking Is Needed

Cord blood is actually a sample of the blood taken from the umbilical cord of a new born baby. This blood is considered to be aninstantly available rich source of stem cells,which helps in fighting over 80 diseases, some of which are life threatening also like cancer. The cord blood is collected immediately after the birth of the baby. It is a completely straightforward procedure with no involvement of either the mother or the child. The needle for collection of cord blood is inserted in that part of the umbilical vein which is still connected to the placenta and then the cord blood is extracted for approximately 10 minutes.

This needle does not go anywhere near the baby. The blood once collected is then immediately rushed to the cord blood stem cell bank. Cord blood banking actually means extracting and preserving the blood collected from the baby’s umbilical cord immediately after the birth. If there is a delay then the blood starts clotting become useless.

The cord blood thus collected can either be preserved for future use in the family cord blood stem cell bank or can be donated for public use. Either way it is a great tool for future and can be used for treatment of several fatal diseases like leukemia, blood disorders and lymphoma. Preserving the sample is of a great use as it can not only be utilised by the donor, but in some cases by the siblings too. Research has shown that use of cord blood is very effective for the siblings rather than unrelated recipients. Also complications are fewer in related recipients than in the unrelated ones.

Generally, there are two types of banks which store the cord blood, public as well as private. The cord blood donated to the public banks is utilised for the general public and the one stored in the private banks is utilised for only the family members of the donor. This cord blood stem cell bank is of immense help in fighting not only fatal diseases like cancer but is being used increasingly for regenerative medical applications.

Researchers, currently, are exploring the use of cord blood in treatment of diseases like Type I diabetes and cardio vascular repair. There are immense possibilities with cord blood stem cell bank to explore the vast possibilities of treating the diseases much more successfully with stem cell transplant.

Generally, due to lack of awareness nearly 95 percent of cord blood is discarded. Whereas, this valuable blood if preserved, can be used for saving the life of another new born or help someone else fighta fatal or degenerative disease. As a child’s cord blood could be a match for his sibling or other family members, it can be preserved in a private bank exclusively for the future use of the family. This is especially useful where there is a history of such degenerative or genetic illnesses.

Umbilical cord: A baby’s lifeline

An umbilical cord is the tissue that joins the mother to the baby and it is considered to be the richest source of the stem cells according to the doctors. It is the foetus in the womb of the mother that eventually gets transformed into a full grown baby during pregnancy. This foetus is a lump of stem cells that replicate themselves to form different parts of human body. There are many places in the body where stem cells can be found. They are known for their fascinating quality of replicating themselves a number of times along with their capacity to eventually develop into any tissue. However cord cells are the easiest to get and preserve for future.

During the course of pregnancy this umbilical cord helps in providing the baby with the nutrients, water, carbohydrates and fulfilling all the needs of the baby. These nutrients in turn help the baby grow. Hence it is also known as the lifeline between the mother and the baby, while being a source of oxygen for the baby. The baby derives the necessary amount of oxygen to breathe from this cord while developing inside the mother’s womb. This umbilical cord plays a very important role during the course of pregnancy.

Post pregnancy, the umbilical cord plays an important role as it acts as the richest source of the stem cells that can now be preserved by the parents, so as to assure their child of a healthy future. It is a newly advanced scientific method that assures the baby can fight back against any chronic disease in the future. It also helps the baby lead a healthy life throughout. It has helped many people across the globe to fight severe life threatening diseases like spinal cord injury, brain injuries, heart diseases, diabetes or any type of cancer.

There are many cord blood banks that help the parents to preserve the baby’s umbilical cord for future use. They are kept in a frozen state i.e. a cryogenic atmosphere while it is being preserved and can be used anytime when the person is in need of stem cell therapy to regenerate lost tissues or cells in the body. These cells help on regeneration and rejuvenation of the body’s defence mechanism that helps in fighting against various diseases easily. It has no expiry date if kept in the set conditions and atmosphere. Hence this kind of therapy has been a miraculous achievement in biological science which helps one get a cure for these chronic and life threatening diseases. One can be assured of a healthy life from the time of his or her birth. Since it’s a life saver, this kind of therapy has become quite popular around the globe.

Summary: An umbilical cord is the tissue that joins the mother to the baby and it is considered to be the richest source of the stem cells according to the doctors. Since it’s a life saver, this kind of therapy has become quite popular around the globe.

Preserve your healthy future in Stem Cell Banks

Stem Cell Banking in India is all about preserving the stem cells of its customers to assure them a healthy tomorrow. In India, there are both public and private banks that preserving stem cells for its customers. However since this method is the newly adopted method and is just a decade old, the reliability and trust factor is much enhanced in the private sector. The fees charged by the private companies are usually much higher than the public sphere but they provide complete assurance to its customers.

Stem Cells are the fundamental unit in human’s body. When the foetus develops in the womb of the mother, the stem cells regenerate themselves again and again to form the specialised tissues and organs. These cells also work towards rejuvenating different organs in the body to heal the body and also help the individuals grow up. Stem cells are found in various parts of a human body from where they can be collected when the body is completely fit and free from any external viruses. Doctors have found that these stem cells are found in extreme abundance in the umbilical cord, which connects the mother to the baby. This cord helps the baby get its nutrition and oxygen for its development inside the mother’s womb. Post delivery, this umbilical cord is preserved in the bank so as to extricate stem cells for future use.

Stem Cell Banks have to maintain proper atmospheric conditions in their labs to preserve these cells. These cells do not have any expiry date and hence they can be used at any stage and can be preserved for a long time as well. Stem cell banking will help you fight back chronic diseases like spinal cord injury, brain injury, any type of cancer or any other disease that is life threatening. It is the most efficient therapy, which science has ever produced, as it prevents the body from getting exposed to harsh chemicals that in turn damage the body and cause various side effects. Preserving stem cells will allow the person to get help regenerating good cells that were destroyed along with the bad cells and also avoid the use of any other method to cure the disease.

These stem cell banks have specialised laboratories that preserves cells of different customers. The customer gets detailed information of their membership from these banks ensuring the customer that they will provide any number of cells that the customer will require and at any period of time. The banks replicate these cells to keep the cells with them as well while supplying the customer their preserved stem cells so that the customer can use these cells again if he requires, in the future. Stem cell banking can be your way of gifting your child a healthy future.