For couples who have banked the umbilical cord blood stem cells of their newborns as a future shield against deadly diseases, there is now a litmus test to verify if the cells are alive and working.
The ‘explant’ differentiation and culture technology, a processing method that guarantees the viability of the stored stem cells, is now available in Calcutta, a “first in the country”. The technology is expected to lift the veil of scepticism that has been shrouding this nascent field since the very start.
“We are delighted to introduce this patented technology of isolating, differentiating and expanding two cell lines from the umbilical cord. This technology assures our clients that their babies’ stem cells have the ability to be used for therapies in future,” said Prosanto Chowdhury, the medical director of CordLife Sciences India.
CordLife Sciences India, in 2008, had set up eastern India’s first full umbilical cord blood tissue processing and storage facility on Diamond Harbour Road, about 7km from the IIM-C campus in Joka.
The process was launched on February 15, and even existing clients can opt for it.
According to Chowdhury, the explant method can isolate two types of cell lines — mesenchymal and epithelial stem cells — from the umbilical cord, with proof that the two cell lines are alive and functioning.
“A small amount — less than one million cells — are expanded to prove it can further differentiate and develop into liver cells capable of producing albumin and skin cells producing mucin from the differentiated cell lines, which is ultimate proof of the functional capacity of the cells,” Chowdhury added.
Upon explant differentiation culture or expansion, the cord details will be stored with the Global Cord Registry, an international databank maintained in Singapore. It authenticates the processing origin and quality of the stem cells.
“This will give the clients automatic access to all evolving therapies in India and abroad, using international resources coordinated by our company’s R&D partners and the Global Cord Registry,” explained Meghnath Roy Chowdhury, the managing director, CordLife Sciences India.
So what happens if the test reveals that a stem cell sample cannot be used for therapy? “In case there is a reduction or depletion in the viability of stored stem cells, we guarantee through a legal clause to either provide the client with an equivalent viable sample, or pay compensation of $25,000,” said Meghnath Roy Chowdhury.
Source: Subhro Saha, http://www.telegraphindia.com
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