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Umbilical Cord Blood Banking Advances in medical science have identified umbilical
cord blood as a viable and useful source of blood forming stem cells. Stem
cells are the fundamental building blocks of our blood and immune systems and
are normally confined to the bone marrow. Throughout life, stem cells multiply and mature into red blood
cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
In certain disease conditions or as a side effect of chemotherapy or
radiotherapy, the bone marrow may stop functioning. At such times, a stem
cell transplant becomes necessary to regenerate the bone marrow.
The stem cells are a perfect match for the baby from
whom the cord blood was collected. However, depending on the degree of tissue
matching, there is a good chance other members of the immediate family may
also benefit from these cord blood stem cells. The cord blood stem cells are
for family use only, and are not available to any public agency. Umbilical cord blood stem cells have been used successfully in the
management of an increasing number of cancers and blood disorders, including
the following: Malignant Diseases: Acute
Lymphocytic Leukemia, Acute Myelocytic Leukemia, Juvenile Chronic Myelogenous
Leukemia, Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia,
Chronic
Lymphocytic Leukemia, Neuroblastoma, Myelopdysplastic Syndrome,
Lymphoma, Hodgkins. Nonmalignant Diseases: Fanconi’s anaemia,
Idiopathic aplastic anaemia, Thalassemia, Sickle Cell Anaemia,
Amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia, Kostman syndrome, Blackfan-Diamond
syndrome, Severe combined immunodeficiency, x-linked lymphoproliferative
syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome, Hurler syndrome, Hunter syndrome,
Gunther disease, Osteopetrosis, Globoid Cell
leukodystrophy, Adrenoleukodystrophy, Lesch-Nyhan syndrome. This is a
partial list. Many other conditions treated with bone marrow transplants can
also be potentially treated with umbilical cord blood stem cells Why use Cord Blood Stem
Cells? Amongst the key advantages of using cord blood stem cells rather than
adult marrow stem cells are their ready availability, lower acquisition
costs, lower risks of viral infections, and a significant decrease in
developing fatal transplant associated ‘graft versus host disease’. Cord Blood Processing. All cord blood samples are processed in a Stem Sciences Inc. dedicated
Cord Blood Processing Facility, where we use the most modern stem cell
archiving technology available. Developed by Thermogenesis Inc. in
collaboration with the world famous New York Blood Center, Stem Sciences Inc.
is the first Canadian organization to acquire the BioArchive® system that
provides unparalleled technical and sample safety advantages over all other
cryo-archiving solutions. The BioArchive® is critical enabling technology for
cellular therapies of the future. Under ideal conditions, as much as 150 ml of cord blood can be
collected and processed. In general however, lower volumes are often
collected. There is no hard and fast rule to determine what the minimum
volume of cord blood that one can store should be. With the possibility of
propagating these cells in laboratory culture, we feel that volumes lower
than the generally accepted minimum of 40 mls may also yield significant
numbers of cells and should be stored. You will be informed of the volume of
blood that we receive from your child and should you not wish to store it, we
will dispose of the sample in an appropriate manner.
The nucleated cells present in the cord blood are concentrated and
cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen at temperatures of –196oC. The addition of the cryoprotectant DMSO
allows us to freeze these cells until such time as they are required. Initial
reports in the scientific literature indicate that stem cells can be
successfully stored for periods of up to 15 years without any significant
loss of activity. Experience gained from the cryopreservation of human cells
in general has shown that they can probably be stored for longer periods
using current technology. It is only with time that we will learn the true
lifespan of these cells.
Infectious Disease Testing. Maternal blood samples obtained at the time
of delivery will be tested for the following transmissible diseases: HIV (AIDS),
HTLV, VDRL, CMV, Syphilis, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and West Nile Virus. The
Cord Blood will be tested for bacterial contamination. Evidence of any
significant infection/exposure will render the Cord Blood ineligible for
storage. The future. Since the first cord blood transplant in 1988, tremendous progress has
been made in better understanding and utilizing umbilical cord blood stem
cells. Encouraging progress is being made in understanding the nature of stem
cells and their applications in managing diseases and conditions that are at
present considered incurable. Already, experimental evidence has been
accumulated showing improvements in healing and recovery from conditions such
as ‘strokes’. Molecular biological manipulation of stem cells to insert or
correct gene sequences will open up new opportunities in treating conditions
such as Sickle Cell Anaemia, Haemophilia, Alzheimer’s, Diabetes, Parkinson’s,
and other genetic and infectious diseases. There is also very exciting
research going on in the area of cell expansion, that would allow scientists
to increase the numbers of stem cells/progenitor cells in laboratory cell
culture to levels that would improve the chances of engraftment. It’s your decision. The decision to bank your baby’s stem cells is an important one and
can only be made by you, the parents. If you think you might look back and
regret not having saved your baby’s stem cells or feel that you want to take
advantage of emerging new therapeutic approaches utilising stem cells, or you
simply want peace of mind, then you should certainly consider banking your
baby’s umbilical cord blood stem cells. Fee Structure: Stem Sciences Inc. is able to offer you a cost
effective opportunity to bank your baby’s umbilical cord blood stem cells in
our state of the art BioArchive® stem cell banking facility; the first of it’s kind in Canada. It is
estimated that more than 70% of cord blood stem cell units used in
transplants world wide were processed in facilities using the BioArchive
System®.
Courier charges, if applicable, are to be paid for by the parents. Once the
cord blood has been collected, it must be transported to Stem Sciences in a timely
manner. For out of town collections, this may require the use of a same day
courier. Please call Air Logistics at 1-866-882-8865 or Disher Courier at
1-800-463-1035 to discuss your options. To Register
Downoload full registration
pack: >>DOWNLOAD<< To register, please download our full registration
package from www.stemsciences.com, or call 1-866-730-0800 and request a print copy via email/regular mail. Our
services are available to expectant parents across |
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Fees |
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Registration & Collection Kit : Non refundable |
100.00 $ + GST |
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Infectious
Disease Testing |
175.00 $ + GST |
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Processing & Cryopreservation |
530.00 $ + GST |
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First year of Storage |
120.00 $ + GST |
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Total in first Year |
925.00 $ +GST |
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Plus shipping
& packaging charges – depending on location. [we ship via FEDEX®] |
Variable $ |
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Annual storage fee – for each subsequent year. |
120.00 $ + GST |
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Please note: |
1. Fees are fixed for the duration of your contract. 2. Your Physician/Hospital may charge
additional collection/administration fees. |
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_____________________________________________________________________________________________ |
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Stem Sciences Inc. Umbilical Cord Blood Bank Tel: 1-416-730-0800 Fax: 1-416-730-0741 email:
info@stemsciences.com Toll Free: 1-866-730-0800 |
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Email : info@stemsciences.com
Web Site : http://www.stemsciences.com |
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