Cryo-Save Arabia, the Middle East’s First Private Cord Blood Stem Cell Bank, to be set up in DuBiote
Cryo-Save, the largest and longest-established private stem cell bank in Europe, today announced that it will set up the region’s first private cord blood cell bank at the Dubai Biotechnology and Research Park (DuBiotech).
[UKPRwire, Sat Jun 24 2006] Cryo-Save, the largest and longest-established private stem cell bank in Europe, today announced that it will set up the region’s first private cord blood cell bank at the Dubai Biotechnology and Research Park (DuBiotech).
Parents across the region now have a world-class private facility where they can store their newborn baby’s cord blood cells. Cryo-Save is the only private facility in Europe that stores an individual’s cord blood at two locations, thereby reducing the risk of losing the cells to an absolute minimum.
Cord blood cells, extracted from the umbilical cord at birth, have become an accepted alternative to bone marrow as a source of stem cells for transplantation. Once routinely discarded along with the placenta and considered a waste product, it has been used in more than 6,000 transplants worldwide.
Cord blood cells are the building blocks of the body's blood and immune system and the "master cells" that retain the ability to divide and differentiate into other cell types.
Cryo-Save uses third-generation computerised storage devices to store cord blood cells. The storage facilities meet the highest global standards and have been accredited by European bodies like Beltest.
“Cryo-Save Arabia is proud to be the first private storage facility for cord-blood cells in the region,” said Dr. Marc Waeterschoot, CEO of Cryo-Save. “Over 40,000 parents have used our facilities across the world to store the cord blood cells of their new-born children. Cryo-Save meets the highest global benchmarks in the processing and storing of cord blood cells and we are delighted to bring the same expertise to Dubai,” he added.
“We are glad to welcome Cryo-Save Arabia to the DuBiotech community. Stem cell research is one of the key activities which DuBiotech seeks to promote at the biotechnology cluster we are building,” said Dr. Abdulqader Al Khayat, Executive Director of DuBiotech. “Storage facilities that maintain the highest global standards are critical to the development of stem cell research. In addition to attracting global companies, DuBiotech is developing a regulatory framework aimed at maintaining the highest quality standards in our cluster,” he added.
Cryo-Save’s facilities at DuBiotech support the increasing use of cord blood cells in stem cell transplants. They are used either for the donor baby (autologous transplantation), or for siblings, parents, grandparents, or cousins (allogenic transplantation). Recent studies have shown a doubling of the survival rate with cord blood cell transplants from a relative, compared with stem cells from unrelated donors.
To date, stem cell transplants have been used to treat 80 conditions, including various cancers, blood disorders, and genetic diseases. Emerging therapies involving one's own stem cells are expected to grow rapidly as regenerative medicine revolutionizes treatment options.
Cryo-Save will provide mothers with a blood collection kit before birth, so that the doctor or midwife can retrieve the umbilical cord blood. Cryo-Save arranges for the umbilical cord blood to be collected by a courier upon notification of the delivery. This blood is then taken directly to their laboratory in Dubai.
After cord blood cells are tested for infectious agents and microbiological contamination, the stem cells are separated using state-of the-art cell separation and cryopreservation techniques. The stem cells are then counted and stored.
Cryo-Save Arabia will be operational by early August. It will be located temporarily at the Dubai Media City Boutique Offices before moving to the Dubai Biotechnology and Research Park (DuBiotech) when the facility is ready by the end of 2007.
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About Cryo-Save
Cryo-Save is an international company specialised in the cryogenic preservation of stem cells from umbilical cord blood. The company has cord blood banking facilities in Belgium, Germany and now in the United Arab Emirates, and is present in more than 25 countries. In the field of stem cell storage, Cryo-Save is one of the largest providers in the world: more than 40,000 couples have entrusted them with the task of preserving their baby’s cord blood. Cryo-Save’s working method enables them to extract stem cells from the umbilical cord blood, and to store them at -196 degrees Celsius to be useful for future treatments for the newborn, siblings, or any other compatible genetic family member. Once transplanted, the cells have the potential to repair damaged or diseased tissues with little risk of rejection and increased long-term survival. Cryo-Save stores the cord blood obtained at two locations. Therefore, the risk of losing the cells is reduced to an absolute minimum. No other private cord blood bank does this. Cryo-Save has its own laboratory and cryogenic equipment. In this way, Cryo-Save can ensure the quality and accreditation standards of all processes. Cryo-Save’s laboratories have been accredited by Beltest in accordance with the EN ISO 17025 standard, and are regularly audited, thus guaranteeing a professional approach. Apart from following the best European standards, Cryo-Save is seeking accreditation by the AABB in USA. For more information, visit http://www.cryo-save.com, or call 800-CRYO.
For further information, please call:
Baiju Francis
Account Manager
JIWIN
The Public Relations Arm of Dubai Press Club
T:+9714 361 3 596
F:+9714 368 8 001
M:+97150 7971996
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