Cord Blood Stem Cells have high regenerative properties & the ability to transform into different types of blood cells. Currently, they are used to treat 90+ life-threatening medical conditions.

By storing your baby’s precious cord blood with LifeCell, you can now protect not just the baby but the entire family including parents, siblings, and maternal & paternal grandparents from the impact of 82 to 90+ blood-related medical conditions.

Also, since cord blood cells do not have to be exactly matched to the patient like bone marrow transplants from an adult donor, it is 10-100x easier to find a match. Moreover, cord blood stem cells can be easily collected at birth with no harm to the mother or baby.

As a result of their ability to self-renew and differentiate into different cell types, stem cells have found applications in the treatment of various diseases. Currently, the FDA has approved the treatment of over 90+ diseases using cord blood stem cells.

Stem Cell Transplant is a standard treatment in Blood Cancers (various types of leukaemia, lymphoma, and myeloma). It also has broadening & novel applications in non-cancerous diseases including Blood Disorders (Aplastic Anaemia, Beta Thalassemia) Metabolic Disorders, and immune disorders. With ongoing research and developments in the field of stem cells, the treatment of various debilitating ailments using cord blood derived stem cells also shows promising results.

If you store your baby’s stem cells in a private bank, it can only be used exclusively either by your baby or any of their siblings. By opting for private banking over community banking you will not be able to access any stem cell units stored in a community stem cell pool either. It is necessary to note that your child’s own stem cells can only address 10% of all stem-cells-treatable conditions when used within the family. For the remaining 90%, it would require stem cells from a healthy donor from external sources.

Consider a case where the child is diagnosed with Thalassemia and stem cell transplant is necessary to cure the condition. Since Thalassemia is a genetic disorder, the child’s own cells will also be affected with the same thalassemia gene, the child will need stem cells from a healthy and matching donor to improve the chances of a successful outcome. Hence, medical bodies do not support Private Banking as it is unable to provide healthy, matching donor cord blood stem cells.
Community stem cell banking works on the concept of sharing stem cells amongst a community of parents. Your baby’s own stem cells can be accessed for protection against conditions requiring their own stem cells (these disorders have extremely low rates of incidence). On top of this, stem cells from the common pool serve as a source of donor stem cells offering protection against remaining conditions (much higher rates of incidence). Hence, your baby is protected against all conditions treatable by stem cells. LifeCell’s Community Banking aligns with the recommendations of global medical bodies.

As per the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT), the odds of using your own stem cells in a lifetime is a mere <0.04% 4. There is no risk in sharing your baby’s stem cells. Similar to blood, our body’s own stem cells also regenerate continuously. If required, our own stem cells can be easily retrieved from the blood or bone marrow of our body.

For instance, actor Lisa Ray did not have the option of preserving her umbilical cord blood stem cells when she was born. However, in order to treat her Multiple Myeloma (a type of blood cancer), her own peripheral blood stem cells came to her rescue and gave her a new ray of life.

LifeCell offers a number of flexible storage plans at an affordable price. The EMI starts at AED 1,364. For more information on pricing & offers, click here.

You can register with LifeCell anytime before your expected delivery date.However, for a truly hassle-free experience, it is advised to secure your spot at least 45 days before your anticipated due date. This proactive approach ensures a seamless process, leaving you well-prepared and ready to go . Moreover, when you enrol during your second or initial phase of the third trimester you get the benefit of the LifeCell Early Bird discount. Yet to make a decision on stem cell banking? Let our experts help you make the right decision.

Book an appointment with us today! Click Here

You are 4 steps away from a lifetime of good health!

• Enrol: Before childbirth, sign up for stem cell banking on our website by filling up the online enrolment form and making the payment through multiple channels available. You can also call customer care to make a booking and meet our experts from the comfort of your home.
• Collection kit: Post that you will receive a collection kit. Follow the instructions provided until the big day.
• Sample collection: Carry the cord blood collection kit to the hospital. Book a paramedic, who will ensure the collection and shipment of the sample to our lab.
• Testing and processing: Your sample will be tested to check its quality and processed using advanced PrepaCyte-CB® technology.
• Storage & confirmation: You’ll receive your online storage summary and related reports that you can view on your personal dashboard with a TAT of 15 days.

Congratulations! Now you are part of India’s largest cord blood registry.

Bone marrow registries and public banks come with their own limitations such as:

• Low Match Rate for Indian-origin people: Since HLA is ethnicity dependent, the chances of finding a matching donor in an international registry of cord blood or bone marrow donors is less than 10%⁷
• High Cost: The cost of procuring a matching donor unit in an international registry can be as high as AED 130,000 for 1 cord blood unit
• Unfortunately, in India, we do not have any operational public cord blood bank
• High donor dropout rate: The chances of finding a matching donor are 1 in 20,000 people(0.005%).In the Bone Marrow registries very often, the donor refuses at the last moment when the match is found.

Lifecell Community Banking program offers these advantages to its members:

• Exclusive access to all preserved stem cells in its repository.
• Over 75,000 qualified & consented cord blood units are available for allogeneic stem cell transplantations, and this is steadily growing every day.
• The high number of Indian-origin samples ensures >97% chance of finding a perfect matching stem cell unit for an Indian patient

Yes, LifeCell offers the storage of your child’s own Cord Tissue, this is an integral part of our service in the UAE.

Moreover, since Mesenchymal Stem cells (cord tissue stem cells) are universal donor cells’, i.e. their usage does not require HLA matching. An often overlooked but critical fact is that almost all the current active human clinical trials related to umbilical cord tissue are using MSCs obtained from donated sources (https://parentsguidecordblood.org/en/diseases#trial ).

LifeCell provides its clients transplant-ready, off-the-shelf (7 days) MSCs for immediate treatment. This makes sure you have access to transplant-ready MSCs in the shortest time, without having to wait for MSCs to be harvested from your own Cord Tissue sample and then expanded, a process which can take weeks.

LifeCell provides its clients with DCGI approved expanded MSC’s product (~1,000 million) derived from donated adult human bone marrow for immediate access or NAC-SCRT approved MSC’s from donated human cord tissue in future (subject to Govt. regulations).

Cord blood and tissue collection is a simple, gentle and non-invasive procedure that requires no contact with the baby or the mother.There is absolutely no pain or risk to the mother or child.

LifeCell’s sample collection kit’s unique features that safeguard your baby’s stem cells during transit are:

• Physical Safety:
  

  The outer body of the umbilical cord blood collection kit is made of tough stainless steel. Its jostle-free design ensures that the sample stays in an intact position during transit. It offers maximum physical protection to the sample from external crashes and pressures.



• Optimum Temperature Maintenance:
  

  To maintain the stem cell viability (healthy stem cells) in the sample during transit, the ideal temperature range for sample safety is 4 - 28°C. The collection kit's specially customised vacuum insulation ensures prolonged maintenance of the ideal temperature (4 - 28°C) for up to 72 hours.



• Space-Saving Compact Design:
  

  At 6120 cm³, the kit occupies 40% less volumetric dimension. Thus, making it smaller compared to the conventional thermocol collection kits.



• Eco-Friendly:
  

  The reusable stainless steel box is eco-friendly and minimises environmental hazards compared to ordinary thermocol kits.



• Protects From Contamination:
  

  The stainless steel body of the umbilical cord blood collection kit is water-resistant. It also provides sustained protection from external contaminants and unexpected climate changes occurring during transit.



• Space-Saving Compact Design:
  

  At 6120 cm³, the kit occupies 40% less volumetric dimension.

Once the stem cells are tested & processed, results will be shared via mail within 30 days and you will have access to your reports through your own account and dashboard on our website.

To know more about how to bank your baby’s stem cells with LifeCell, click here.

Sure, LifeCell makes this possible.

As parents, you now have the opportunity to extend the security of LifeCell Community Banking to your biological siblings, their spouses, and biological children older than 2 years. This can be achieved through the LifeCell Family Floater Plan.

This is a good time to be reminded that LifeCell's standard community banking plans provide coverage for your other biological children, yourselves as the biological parents, and the child's maternal and paternal biological grandparents. This ensures comprehensive stem cell protection for your entire family.

LifeCell ensures unlimited and free retrievals of cord blood units to all its members in case of a transplant.

LifeCell, through its exclusive Safe Transplantation Program, examines cord blood units to establish not just their suitability but also their safety. Every cord blood unit undergoes rigorous evaluation based on essential qualifying criteria before being listed on the LifeCell Registry. Additionally, a thorough screening for over 1,000 inherited disorders is conducted prior to retrieval, ensuring that the released stem cells are not only the safest but also the healthiest for transplantation.

In the treatment of blood-related medical conditions, it is seen that a minimum stem cell transplant of 25 million Total Nucleated Cells (TNC) is administered for every 1 kilogram of the patient's body weight. Based on our published data from our in-house cord blood processing, the median size of our cord blood collection is 98 ml, which translates to a range of 650 to 750 million Total Nucleated Cells (TNC) or approximately 2 million cells that test positive for the stem cell marker CD34. Additionally, our median Red Blood Cell (RBC) depletion achieved was 95.4%.

As per the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP), there is a lack of awareness regarding the utility of cord blood stem cells and their uses amongst obstetricians and paediatricians. According to a survey, researchers found that 58% of  doctors were unaware of the indications of cord blood stem cells. Another alarming study showed that 90% of doctors felt that umbilical cord blood from a child can be used to treat thalassemia in the same child, which is incorrect. Autologous (one’s own) cord stem cells cannot be used for treating metabolic disorders, diseases of genetic origin, and haematological cancers, which together make up 90% of the disorders treated by stem cell therapy. The studies discussed here highlight the need for awareness among Indian doctors regarding the established and approved indications of cord blood in own and donor stem cell transplantation.

Yes.

Not only will your baby have access to community donor stem cells, but your entire family, including parents, siblings, maternal and paternal grandparents, will also continue to have access to donor cord blood stem cells. This benefit will continue till the 75th birthday of the Child, which includes unlimited access to matching stem cell units and all other applicable benefit programs.

Indeed, it's a wise decision for parents, a proactive measure to secure swift access to stem cell therapy. The landscape of stem cell therapy is advancing rapidly, and banking stem cells ensures readiness for the future.

Opting out means giving up a key source for wellness and cure, putting yourself at risk for no or limited therapy access, extended wait times, insufficient stem cells, and higher therapy costs. Choosing not to enrol in LifeCell Community Banking not only impacts the baby's benefits but also affects the entire family. Considering the swift progress in stem cell therapy, having access to donor stem cells becomes a substantial advantage.

Cord blood is collected after birth, painlessly and non-invasively, after clamping and cutting the umbilical cord. Cord tissue is similarly collected from the remaining cord segment after it has cut and detached from the baby.

The short answer is Yes.

Good to know

• Despite delayed clamping, sufficient cord blood can usually be collected.
• Delayed clamping is in the immediate interest of the Child and therefore LifeCell supports it.
• LifeCell's community banking can address low cell count with additional or multiple matching cord blood units.

After collection using a special kit, the sample is transported to LifeCell’s state-of-the-art partner facility at Dubai Healthcare City, Dubai. The sample undergoes processing and storage, as per LifeCell-approved protocols.

This is straightforward.

Please reach out to UniCord Arabia or your nearest LifeCell location (200+). LifeCell Medical Concierge takes charge, guiding you, coordinates with the transplant physician, and ensures adherence to timelines.

The following source may be consulted.

Diseases Treated (parentsguidecordblood.org)

       5% for an Individual (a), 40% for a Family (b)

The chances continue to increase as stem cell therapy picks up approvals for additional disorders.

(a) Based on the current approved list of 80 therapies, the disorders treated affect 5% of the world’s population.

(b) In this context, "family" includes the child, siblings, parents, and grandparents on both sides.  

No, stem cell banking isn't just for families with a medical history. Stem cell therapy addresses non-hereditary disorders also. It's a smart move for anyone. By storing stem cells from sources like cord blood, you're prepped for potential treatments that may be required down the road.

Siblings have a 25% chance of a perfect HLA match. Parents and Grandparents stand a very low chance.

GREAT TO KNOW

LifeCell Community Banking Clients have 75,000+ transplant-ready .Donor Cord Blood Units at their fingertips, all at no extra cost. The chances of finding a match are > 97% for clients and members of Indian origin.