Health Bank
Why Choose Community Stem Cell Banking Over Others!
By Umme Sadiya Qamar - November 03, 2022
Kit components are placed inside a vacuum insulated double walled stainless steel box to provide adequate temperature control and protection from physical damage
24/7 availability of trained paramedics ready for immediate dispatch, to assist your Ob / Gyn for umbilical cord blood collection, if requested (requires prior notice of 4 hours for collections within 50km of LifeCell service centre or not less than 8 hours for longer distance collection)
Note: Kit box to be carried by customer to the hospital at the time of delivery and handed over to hospital nursing staff
Includes onward and return free shipment of kit box. Express shipment possible for near term delivery or emergency collection
Also includes free worldwide cryogenic transport of preserved sample for medical use
USFDA 510k approved reagent (PrepaCyte CB® from CryoCell International) utilised for separation of blood components to obtain high stem cell yields whilst removing 99% of red cell contaminants
Pre-storage testing for all samples includes assessment of Cellular Health (Cell Counts & Viability), Microbial Contamination (Bacterial & Fungal), Infectious Diseases (HIV, HBV, HTLV, HCV, Malaria, CMV), and Blood Grouping. For samples qualifying for community use additional testing includes HLA typing, CFU testing, and screening of Hemoglobinopathies
Pre-transplant release criteria includes screening of 1200+ inherited genetic disorders through Genomescope
Samples preserved in vapour phase liquid nitrogen within stainless steel cryotanks at either of LifeCell’s cryostorage facilities (Chennai & Gurugram)
Live Tracking available through customer portal to view temperature maintenance of respective cryotanks in which units are preserved
As there is no expiry date on how long stem cells can be preserved you can also choose to opt for prepaid storage plans of 21 years to 75 years
LifeCell’s inventory of >60,000 qualified units available for matching within the community registry is largest in the country, thereby providing highest chances (>97%) of finding a suitably matched unit
Free search for matching stem cells within LifeCell Community Inventory (StemMatch) & also within other registries worldwide.
Matching units are available for withdrawal for baby who’s sample is preserved plus siblings, parent’s and grandparents (maternal and paternal)
Unlimited number of matching units can be withdrawn during the term of the agreement
Release subject to usage in treatment of approved indications and registered clinical trials
LifeCell has partnered with third-party insurance companies to cover the cost of transplant related expenses for approved indications upto ₹20 lakhs.
Upto 1 billion Mesenchymal Stem Cells and ₹20 lakhs financial assistance will be made available for free when used in approved indications
Receive upto 2 free placental tissue products (Allografts) that can be used in the treatment of wounds, when you donate your baby’s placenta
Extend access to LifeCell’s community inventory to your other family members who may not be automatically covered under the program
Extension can be granted to siblings of parents and comes at an additional price per person
Below is the risk of an individual being diagnosed of common blood cancers at some point in a lifetime*:
India has a high burden of inherited red cell diseases such as Thalassemia & Sickle Cell Disease (2.5 Lakh patients) where stem cell transplant is the only curative treatment option
*As per National Cancer Institute, Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program
For stem cell matching there are between 6-10 parameters that need to be matched, with each parameter having between 2000-4000 variants.
Adult bone marrow requires 9-10 parameters to be matched.
However Umbilical Cord Blood requires only 6-8 parameters to be matched thereby making it 10-100x more easier to find a match.
Umbilical Cord blood stem cells being frozen are 100% available and ready for immediate release. Further withdrawal of matching units from the community inventory is totally free
Even in advanced countries like the US about 50% of registered adult donors back out at the time of medical need. Also some of this requires the donor to travel and there could be delays in access. Further there are significant costs in making arrangements for sourcing these cells
Community cord blood banking has the benefits of both private banking and public banking and hence is a superior option
No wonder it’s supported by leading medical experts unlike private banking which has been criticised as inherited disorders make it unfit for baby’s own use & can only be withdrawn once for family use
Public cord blood banks in India have limited inventory and not growing due to lack of financial aid. Further they charge upto ₹10 lakhs for release of a matching unit
Success rates for cord blood transplants are improving with each passing year due to innovations such as:
-Improved chemotherapy regimens that have led to lower transplant related mortality, lesser rejections, earlier patient discharge and lower complications
-Multiplying the number of cord blood stem cells in the lab or supplementing them with other stem cell sources has shown to accelerate the time to immune recovery without increase in side effects
Representation of adult donors of Indian origin is less than 1% in global registries, and size of Indian donor registries is significantly sub-optimal ( < 1 Million Donors) to provide reasonable access to a matching donor
Inventory of cord blood units within public banks in India is still very small (< 10,000 units collectively)
Acute Myelofibrosis
Agnogenic Myeloid Metaplasia
Aplastic Anemia
Beta Thalassemia Major
Blackfan-Diamond Anemia
Congenital Amegakaryocytic Thrombocytopenia
Congenital Cytopenia
Congenital Dyserythropoietic Anemia
Dyskeratosis Congenita
Essential Thrombocythemia
Fanconi Anemia
Glanzmann’s Thrombasthenia
Myelodysplastic Syndrome
Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria
Polycythemia Vera
Pure Red Cell Aplasia
Refractory Anemia with Excess Blasts
Refractory Anemia with Excess Blasts in Transition
Refractory Anemia with Ringed Sideroblasts
Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome
Sickle Cell Disease
Adenosine Deaminase Deficiency
Bare Lymphocyte Syndrome
Chediak-Higashi Syndrome
Chronic Granulomatous Disease
Congenital Neutropenia
DiGeorge Syndrome
Evans Syndrome
Fucosidosis
Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis
Hemophagocytosis Langerhans’ Cell
Histiocytosis X
IKK Gamma Deficiency
Immune Dysregulation,
Polyendocrinopathy, Enteropathy, X-linked
Syndrome Kostmann Syndrome
Myelokathexis
Omenn Syndrome
Phosphorylase Deficiency
Purine Nucleoside
Reticular Dysgenesis
Severe Combined Immunodeficiency
Diseases
Thymic Dysplasia
Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome
X-linked Agammaglobulinemia
X-Linked Hyper IgM Syndrome
X-Linked Lymphoproliferative Disorder
Congenital Erythropoietic Porphyria
Agnogenic Myeloid Metaplasia
Gaucher Disease
Hunter Syndrome
Hurler Syndrome
Krabbe Disease
Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome
Mannosidosis
Maroteaux-Lamy Syndrome
Metachromatic Leukodystrophy
Mucolipidosis II
Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis
Niemann-Pick Disease
Sandhoff Disease
Sanfilippo Syndrome
Scheie Syndrome Sly Syndrome
Tay Sachs
Wolman Disease
X-Linked Adrenoleukodystrophy
Acute Biphenotypic Leukemia
Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia
Acute Myelogenous Leukemia
Acute Undifferentiated Leukemia
Adult T Cell Leukemia/Lymphoma
Chronic Active Epstein Barr
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia
Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia
Ewing Sarcoma
Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Juvenile Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia
Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia
Myeloid/Natural Killer Cell
PrecursorAcute Leukemia
Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Prolymphocytic Leukemia
Plasma Cell Leukemia
Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency
Multiple Myeloma
Neuroblastoma
Rhabdomyosarcoma
Thymoma
Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia
Wilms Tumor
Autism
Cerebral Palsy
Spinal Cord Injury
Parkinson's Disease
Lupus
Crohn's Disease
Rheumatoid Arthiritis
Diabetes Type 1 & 2
Lysosomal Storage Disease
HIV
Osteoarthritis
Peripheral Arterial Disease
Alzheimer's disease
Encephalopathy
Global Developmental Delay
Hearing Loss (acquired sensorineural)
Intraventricular Hemorrhage
Stroke
Traumatic Brain Injury
Alopecia Areata
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Eczema (Atopic Dermatitis)
Graft-versus-Host Disease
Systemic Sclerosis
Critical Limb Ischemia
Aging Frailty
Epidermolysis Bullosa
Severe Combined Immunodeficiency
Tay-Sachs Disease
Cartilage Injury
Osteochondral Lesion
BronchoPulmonary Dysplasia
Eye Diseases
Liver Failure
Premature Ovarian Failure
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Select a storage plan & order your kit online
Sample Collection
Carry the kit to the hospital before delivery. A paramedic will be present at the me of delivery for a seamless collection process
Receive Digital Results
Within days you will receive physician approved results useful insights on your personalised dashboard
Find A Match
Get free access to matching units for transplant when needed
Shipment And Financial Aid
Receive Free Worldwide Shipment & Upto ₹20 Lakhs Financial Aid for Transplant
Customised Dashboard Experience:
We not only offer an interactive experience but also provide an insight on what all information you will get in your smart reports. In that way, we will help you navigate through your entire testing journey
SMART Reports:
We want to empower you with the correct information and for that, we have designed SMART reports that are reliable and easy to understand. Plus, you can share them with your doctor with just a few clicks
Further Recommendations:
We want you to understand the logic and science behind what we do. So, your report is not just about numbers but crafted in a way to help you get comprehensive insights and solutions that will help you to navigate through the journey so that you can protect your baby and the entire family
Most Accredited and Licensed
Licenced by DCGI, and accredited several times with agencies such as WHO, FDA, NABL, ISO, AABB and many more
Best Matchmaker
Our inventory of 60,000+ and growing community stem cell units offers the highest chances (>97%) worldwide of finding acceptable match for patients of Indian origin
Highest Experience
India’s first and largest private stem cell bank, in partnership with CryoCell International - world’s first private stem cell bank, with more units released for transplant from India than any other bank to treatment centers worldwide including US, Singapore, & more
LifeCell Emerges As a Lifesaver - Dr. Junagade's Testimonial
LifeCell Saves The Life Of A Child With Aplastic Anemia- Customer Testimonial
Know what Dr. Bhat has to say about the power of Cord Blood Banking!
Stem Cell Transplantation Gives Rebirth to Little Shanaya - A True Story
Wish To Know More?
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, maternal & paternal grandparents from the impact of 82+ blood related medical conditions.
Also, cord blood cells does not have to be exactly matched to the patient like bone marrow transplants from an adult donor, thereby, this makes it 10-100x more easier to find a match through umbilical cord blood units as compared to adult bone marrow o Moreover, they can be easily collected at birth with no harm to 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 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, treatment of various debilitating ailments shows promising results.
Private stem cell banks preserve your baby’s stem cells so that it can only be used exclusively either by your baby or any of their siblings. Thus, by opting for private banking you will be restricting the use of the banked stem cells, as it can then only be used for 10% of all stem-cells-treatable conditions when used within the family. For the remaining 90%, you’d require stem cells of a healthy donor from external sources.
Consider a case where the child is diagnosed with thalassemia and is in need of a stem cell transplant. Since his/her own cells will be affected with the same thalassemia gene, he/she will need stem cells from a related or unrelated matched donor for improving the chances of a successful outcome. Hence, medical bodies in India and abroad do not recommend Private Banking.
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. Along with this, stem cells from the common pool serve as a source of donor stem cells offering protection against remaining conditions. Hence, your baby is protected against all conditions treatable by stem cells. LifeCell’s Community Banking aligns with the recommendations of medical bodies in India and abroad.
As per American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT), the odds of using your own stem cells in a lifetime is <0.04%4. There is no risk to share 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 facility to preserve her umbilical cord blood stem cells at birth. 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 Rs. 950/month. For more information on pricing & offers, click here.
You can register with LifeCell anytime before your expected delivery date. We suggest you enrol with us during your second or initial phase of the third trimester to avail an early-bird discount and other exciting offers. 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 make the payment through multiple channels available. You can also call the 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: Ensure to carry the cord blood collection kit to the hospital. Book a paramedic, who will ensure the collection, and shipment of the sample to the 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:
• Since HLA is ethnicity dependent,the chances of finding a matching donor in international registry is less than 10% • Cost of procuring a matching donor unit in an international registry can be as high as 30 lakhs • Unfortunately, in India, we do not have any public cord blood bank • Low chances of finding matched donors in public banks • 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 60,000 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 the chance of finding a perfect matching unit for an Indian patient up to >97%Since Mesenchymal Stem cells (cord tissue stem cells) are considered to be ‘universal donor cells’, they are being made available off-the-shelf (7 days) for immediate treatment as they don’t need donor-recipient matching. In fact, almost all the current active human clinical trials related to umbilical cord tissue are using MSCs obtained from donated sources.
LifeCell provides DCGI approved expanded MSC’s product (~1000 Mn) 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). LifeCell offers, Unlimited financial assistance of INR 20 lakhs for every stem cell transplantation for baby, siblings & parents. LifeCell has released about 1 crore rupees as financial assistance to its clients to offset stem-cell-related transplant costs.
Cord blood is a fairly simple and non-invasive process to collect. 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 the environmental hazards compared to the 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.LifeCell uses premier cord blood processing technology, PrepaCyte-CB®. This technology allows the extraction of a maximum number of stem cells and provides superior red blood cell depletion over all other methods. LifeCell is the only stem cell bank in India to offer this unique technology to its customers.
For more information on cord blood processing, click here.
Any technology is beneficial when it adds value to human life. Just after the transplant, there is the highest risk of infection until the new cells engraft. This is because the patient will have fewer white blood cells than normal. White blood cells are the part of the immune system that help prevent or fight infections.
Engraftment usually happens within the first 30 days after the transplant but sometimes can take longer. Engraftment means the new cells are working properly and starting to rebuild the immune system. Engraftment marks the start of the recovery process. White blood cells are the first cells to engraft, followed by red blood cells and platelets.
PrepaCyte-CB harvests the purest form of cord blood stem cells by removing more than 99% RBCs with the highest cell count in the industry (85-90% recovery) and provide the fastest patient recovery within 16 days compared to any other processing technologies. Thus, helps in better transplant outcomes, lesser time for hospitalisation and saves additional cost.
Once the stem cells are tested & processed in our lab, results will be shared via mail within 15 days and you will have access to our personalised dashboard experience. An annual preservation status report with details of the monthly temperature track record is shared once every year.
To know more about how to bank your baby’s stem cells with LifeCell, click here.
Yes! You can now extend stem cell protection to extended family members including biological siblings of the parents, their spouses and the children >2 years with LifeCell’s Family Floater Plan.
LifeCell ensures unlimited and free retrievals of cord blood units to all its members in case of a transplant.
There are a number of studies to prove the adverse effects of genetically mutated donor cells on recipients. Study shows that apparently healthy donors with both inherited and acquired genetic factors can contribute to donor-derived cancers.
LifeCell, under its exclusive safe transplantation program, screens for 1000+ inherited disorders before the retrieval of any stem cell from the registry to ensure the safest and healthiest stem cells are released for transplantation.
When treating blood related medical conditions, the stem cells transplant dose should be at least 25 million TNC per kilogram of patient body weight. As per our published data on our in-house cord blood processing, the median size of our cord blood collections is 98 ml. This corresponds to 650 to 750 million Total Nucleated Cells (TNC) or around 2 million cells that test positive for the stem cell marker CD34. The median RBC depletion achieved was 95.4%.
As per the Indian Academic of Pediatrics(IAP), there is lack of awareness regarding the utility of cord blood stem cells and its uses amongst the obstetricians and paediatricians. According to a survey, researchers found that 58% Indian 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 incorrect2. Autologous (one’s own) cord stem cells cannot be used for treating metabolic disorders, diseases of genetic origin, and haematological cancers. The studies discussed here highlight the need for awareness among the Indian doctors regarding the established and approved indications of cord blood in own and donor stem cell transplantation.
Yes. Not only your baby but your entire family (Parents, Siblings, Maternal and Paternal Grandparents) will also continue to have access to community donor stem cells till 75 years with unlimited access to matching stem cell units and all other benefit programs as applicable.
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Parameters Tested: 01
In mothers, DHA lowers the risk of :
In babies, DHA supports :
Coverage
Transplant Support