How Long Can Stem Cells Be Stored?

If you’re an expecting parent, you might already know that your baby’s cord blood stem cells can only be collected at birth. But once collected, do you know how long they can actually last?

Well, it's a question that pops up in almost every expecting parent's mind before deciding on stem cell banking. After all, if these cells are meant to serve as a potential medical resource years or even decades later. And therefore, it's natural to wonder whether they'll still be effective when needed.

But thanks to advanced cryopreservation technology, stem cells can remain viable for decades when stored under carefully controlled conditions. 

In this article, we'll explore how stem cells are preserved, what science says about their long-term storage, and the factors that help ensure that they remain useful for the future.

So dive in!

What Are Stem Cells?

Stem cells are unique cells that have the ability to develop into different types of specialised cells in the body. They also have the ability to multiply, helping repair or replace damaged tissues.

Umbilical cord blood is a recognised source of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), which can form blood and immune system cells. These cells are already used in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation to treat certain blood cancers and inherited, acquired, or immune system disorders.

Umbilical cord tissue, particularly Wharton's jelly, contains mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). Their potential applications in tissue repair and regenerative medicine continue to be studied in research and clinical trials.

How Are Stem Cells Collected?

Stem cell collection is a safe, painless procedure performed immediately after the baby's birth.

After the umbilical cord is clamped and cut, the remaining blood inside the cord is collected using a sterile collection kit. If parents choose to store cord tissue as well, a small segment of the umbilical cord is collected.

The process takes only a few minutes and does not interfere with the delivery or the care of the mother and baby.

The collected samples are then transported to the laboratory, where they are tested, processed, and prepared for long-term preservation.

Want to see what happens after collection? Here’s a step-by-step look at how your baby’s cord blood is processed and stored.

How Long Can Stem Cells Be Stored?

Current scientific evidence suggests that stem cells can be stored for decades without significant loss of viability when preserved under proper cryogenic conditions.

Research has demonstrated long-term stability of cryopreserved cord blood units, with some unseparated units showing preserved cellular viability after 29 years of storage.

Cryopreservation at very low temperatures, typically in liquid nitrogen, greatly slows or effectively halts cellular metabolic activity. This allows biological samples to be preserved for extended periods. However, no definitive maximum storage duration has been established based on current evidence.

This means that today's preserved stem cells could potentially be available if needed many years later.

Cryogenic Stem Cell Preservation: Its Role & Benefits

The long-term preservation of stem cells is only made possible through cryogenic storage. Let’s understand how it’s done:

1. After processing, stem cells are carefully mixed with a cryoprotective solution that helps prevent damage during freezing. 
2. Next, they are cooled in a controlled manner before being stored in liquid nitrogen vapour at temperatures of around -196°C.
3. At this extremely low temperature, cellular metabolism and ageing effectively stop. The cells remain in a suspended state until they are required for treatment. And because the biological activities are paused, the cells do not continue to age while in storage.
4. When the cells are needed, they are carefully thawed under controlled laboratory conditions. Studies have consistently shown that properly cryopreserved stem cells retain high viability and functionality after thawing, even following many years of storage.

Why Parents Ask About Long-Term Stem Cell Storage

Choosing stem cell banking is a long-term decision. Parents naturally want to know whether the banked or preserved stem cells will still be useful years or even decades later.

Some of the most common concerns include:

1. Will the stem cells remain healthy over time?
2. Can they still be used in adulthood?
3. Does storage reduce their effectiveness?
4. Is long-term preservation scientifically proven?

As mentioned earlier, the available scientific evidence provides reassuring answers. Properly cryopreserved stem cells have shown excellent recovery and biological function after decades of storage.

Role of Accredited Storage Facilities

Long-term storage depends not only on freezing technology but also on the quality of the stem cell bank.

An accredited facility follows strict quality standards for every stage of storage, including:

• Sterile sample processing
• Temperature monitoring around the clock
• Backup power systems
• Continuous alarm and monitoring systems
• Regular quality checks
• Internationally accepted laboratory protocols
• Dual site storage for contingency planning

These measures help ensure that the banked samples remain protected throughout the preservation period.

Parents should always choose a bank that follows recognised quality and accreditation standards, as this plays an important role in maintaining sample integrity over the long term. Here are the key things to know while choosing a cord blood bank.

How LifeCell Manages Stem Cell Preservation

LifeCell follows internationally accepted protocols to help preserve the quality of every stored stem cell sample.

After collection, samples are transported under validated conditions to LifeCell's processing laboratory, where they undergo quality testing and specialised processing before cryopreservation.

The processed stem cells are stored in cryogenic storage systems maintained at ultra-low temperatures with continuous monitoring. Multiple quality control measures, backup systems, and stringent laboratory practices help safeguard stored samples throughout the storage period.

For parents' peace of mind & reassurance, LifeCell also shares an annual preservation report for each sample on their child’s birthday. Additionally, we also have dual-site storage facilities as part of our disaster management contingency plan.

Moreover, LifeCell is accredited by leading national and international quality organisations, like the AABB, AATB, CAP, NABL & ISO 15189, and many more. These accreditations reflect its commitment to maintaining high standards in stem cell processing and preservation.

Conclusion

Although no one can predict whether stem cells will ever be needed, banking them at birth gives families a fighting chance of recovery in case of more than 80+ diseases that can be treated using stem cells.

And your baby’s birth is the only time you get to preserve this lifesaving medical resource for the future. Thanks to advances in cryopreservation technology, these cells can remain safely stored for decades while maintaining their viability.

That’s why choosing an experienced, accredited stem cell bank with robust storage practices is of utmost importance when banking your baby’s stem cells.

To learn more about LifeCell Stem Cell Banking and how it can help your growing family, you can visit www.lifecell.in or call 18002665533.

FAQs

Q1. How long can cord blood stem cells be stored?

Cord blood stem cells can be stored for decades when cryopreserved under controlled conditions. Studies have shown viable cells in cord blood units stored for over 25 years. No maximum storage limit has been established, because cryopreservation effectively pauses all biological activity in the cells.

Q2. Do stem cells expire or lose effectiveness over time in storage?

Properly cryopreserved stem cells don’t have a known expiry date. At ultra-low temperatures, cellular metabolism stops, so the cells don’t age while in storage. Research shows they retain high viability and function after thawing, even after many years.

Q3. Can stem cells banked at birth be used when my child is an adult?

Yes. Because the cells don’t age in storage, they can potentially be used years or decades later. For transplants in older children or adults, doctors also consider whether the cell count is enough for the patient’s body weight. Sometimes they supplement it with additional matched units.

Q4. Does freezing damage stem cells?

Before freezing, stem cells are mixed with a cryoprotective solution that prevents ice crystals from damaging them. They are then cooled in a controlled manner. Some cell loss can occur during freezing and thawing, but properly processed samples retain high viability and function.

Q5. At what temperature are stem cells stored?

Stem cells are stored in cryogenic tanks using liquid nitrogen, at temperatures far below -150°C. At these temperatures, all cellular activity effectively stops, which is what makes long-term preservation possible.

Q6. How long can umbilical cord tissue be stored?

Cord tissue is cryopreserved using similar ultra-low temperature methods and is expected to remain stable long term. However, long-term data on cord tissue is more limited than on cord blood, which has been used in transplants since 1988.

Q7. What happens to my baby’s stem cells if there’s a power failure or emergency?

Accredited stem cell banks use backup power, round-the-clock temperature monitoring and alarm systems to protect samples. LifeCell also stores samples across two sites as part of its disaster management plan, so a problem at one facility doesn’t put every sample at risk.

Q8. How will I know my baby’s stem cells are still safely stored?

LifeCell shares an annual preservation report for each sample on the child’s birthday. The report confirms the sample’s storage status, so parents have ongoing reassurance about their baby’s stem cells.

Q9. What should I look for in a stem cell bank for long-term storage?

Look for accreditations such as AABB, CAP and NABL, continuous temperature monitoring, backup systems, dual-site storage and a proven track record of releasing units for transplant. These factors directly affect how well samples are protected over decades.