Stem cell collection

FAQ

• For how long can cord blood be preserved?

  While no exact agreement exists on the longevity of preserved cord blood, scientists and medical professionals agree that with well-maintained cryopreservation methods, storage can persist for decades or longer. Smart Cells utilize the most advanced processing, cryopreservation, and 24/7 monitored storage technologies tailored to ensure stem cells remain viable. At nitrogen temperatures below -170 degrees Celsius in its vapor phase, all metabolic activities within cells come to a halt. This ensures that nothing will spoil or become damaged. The majority of banks, both public and private alike, depend on similar tested and proven technologies.

  Professor Hal Broxmeyer, a renowned global pioneer in cord blood therapeutics, has conducted groundbreaking research showcasing the long-term efficacy of cryopreservation. His latest study found cell recovery to be successful even after 23.5 years (1). His experiments have previously demonstrated efficient cell preservation over five-year intervals up to 15 years. For nearly three decades, cord blood storage has been available to the public; however, in its formative years, usage was not widespread. As a result, researchers cannot examine the empirical data beyond that point in time.

  Despite this limitation, Professor Broxmeyer’s team aims to conduct an extensive 30-year survey on the oldest cord blood specimens (2). Within the past 18 years, cord blood transplantation has become a widely accepted therapeutic option, and leading experts in this field are adamant that banking and utilization of such should continue. (3)

  Smart Cells has stored and thawed frozen cord blood cells to transplant successfully for up to six years, with no requests yet made for units older than that. Every patient who has received the treatment reported satisfactory cell recovery and engraftment rates.

  As part of Smart Cells’ robust Quality Assurance programme, the team periodically undertakes extensive validation studies to guarantee that our cord blood processing and storage are efficient. This ensures optimal total nucleated and viable CD34+ stem cell recoveries after thawing for regulatory compliance.

  When the necessary steps to process, store and thaw stem cells are performed efficiently, the eventual success of post-thaw recovery is mainly reliant on how high quality the cord blood sample was upon collection. Those with a low initial cell count and viability may not survive the thawing process as well as a more cellular and resilient product.

  It may take some time before we can conclusively prove that cord blood stem cells remain viable after long-term storage for 30 years or more. Although it will take clinical research to conclusively determine the efficacy of cord blood units that have been in storage for years, Smart Cells currently follow current worldwide expert opinion.

  (1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3100689/
  (2) https://parentsguidecordblood.org/en/news/how-long-can-cord-blood-be-stored
  (3) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5442723/

• What are TNC and CD34+?

  TNC indicates Total Nucleated Cells, the white blood cells in a cord blood sample. By counting these cells, Smart Cells can accurately assess the overall success of their collection process in terms of cell numbers. The Smart Cells investigate the count of CD34 positive cells within the TNC cell fraction, as this number is a crucial indicator for stem cell presence.

  Clinical teams carefully consider both TNC and CD34 levels in cord blood samples to determine whether they contain enough stem cells for treatment.

• Is banking stem cells for one child enough to cover additional siblings?

  Banking stem cells for your additional children is just as important a decision as it was the first time around. The same reasoning that led to saving these valuable cells in the past applies now and should be considered when making this critical choice.

  If you are banking to benefit siblings, then the cord blood from one child can be used for another’s medical needs if they possess matching HLA types. When it comes to two full siblings, there is a 25% chance that they will be an exact match, the same odds for not matching at all – and the remaining 50% percent likelihood of being a half match. The odds of success in a cord blood transplant depend on the degree of compatibility between donor and patient, specifically 4 out of 6 HLA types. As such, banking multiple siblings’ cord blood increases the probability that their stem cells match for transplants or therapies requiring sibling donations.

• How can stem cells be used in the future?

  Transplantation using stem cells is becoming an increasingly popular form of treatment for a variety of blood and bone marrow cancers, as well as diseases like Thalassaemia or sickle cell disease. If autologous cells (those taken from the individual for their own use) are used, they can help restore an individual’s blood, and immune system post-chemotherapy treatments aimed to fight off their disease. If the transplant is allogeneic (from one sibling to another), not only does it restore the blood and immune systems, but these cells may even be instrumental in eradicating cancer.

  Stem cells have the potential to revolutionize regenerative medicine by repairing and replacing damaged or diseased tissues or cells. However, these emerging regenerative applications are relatively recent phenomena and usually involve participating in research or clinical studies.

• Do I have to pay a fee for releasing or transporting the sample if it is necessary for transplantation purposes?

  No extra costs will be associated with transporting samples for therapeutic purposes at any time. When HLA testing is necessary, the cost of low-resolution testing is already covered. However, an additional fee may apply if clinical teams need high-resolution results.