stem cell banking in Mumbai

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.