In Vietnam, the umbilical cord stem cell storage service for babies is increasingly popular, but not everyone knows about its “incredible” benefits and importance.

The importance of stem cell storage

Actively storing stem cells from the umbilical cord of a newborn is essential to prevent future risks when the baby needs treatment. Storing stem cells offers several advantages when using autologous umbilical cord blood stem cells instead of peripheral blood or bone marrow of the donor.

Saving time, effort and cost

Umbilical cord blood stem cells stored in a tissue bank that has been screened, tested, frozen, and ready to use. Meanwhile, it may take several months to find and confirm a marrow or peripheral blood donor.

➥ Patients whose stem cells are stored in umbilical cord blood banks will save time, effort and cost to find a suitable stem cell source.

Ensure perfect HLA (human leukocyte antigen) matching

The outcome of stem cell transplants depends on the HLA match between the transplant recipient and the donor’s umbilical cord blood. HLA match plays an important role in transplant success, graft-versus-host disease severity (GVHD), and post-transplant survival.

➥ If the patient has stored umbilical cord blood stem cells, the autologous blood stem cell transplant process will ensure a perfect HLA match. The higher the HLA match between the patient and the umbilical cord blood unit is, the more efficient the transplant process is.

Avoidance of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD)

Transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a serious, sometimes life-threatening complication of hematopoietic cell transplantation. GVHD may occur after allogeneic transplantation. There are two types of transplantation based on hematopoietic cell source: allogeneic and autologous. Allogeneic transplantation is the process when cells from another person are transplanted. Autologous transplantation is the process when cells are obtained from the patient.

Studies have found that after umbilical cord blood stem cell transplantation, fewer patients suffer from GVHD and, among patients with GVHD, complications tend to be less severe than those with peripheral bone marrow or blood transplant. GVHD is a serious and sometimes fatal complication of allogeneic stem cell transplantation. In GVHD, the donor’s (graft) immune cells attack the patient’s (host) healthy tissue.

➥ Storing stem cells helps patients to preserve a source of autologous blood stem cells, avoiding the situation of graft-versus-host disease.

Eliminating the risk of infectious diseases

Umbilical cord blood stem cell transplantation exposes patients to a lower risk of transmitting blood-borne infections than stem cell transplantation from peripheral blood or donor marrow.

➥ The patient’s umbilical cord blood stored at a stem cell bank that has undergone careful testing and screening to ensure that it does not carry infectious diseases from starting storage.

Post-treatment efficacy

After a blood stem cell transplantation, the patient’s immune system is especially sensitive to external agents, which can easily cause infections. Meanwhile, many studies have demonstrated that mesenchymal stem cells have the ability to secrete cytokines and growth factors that inhibit the immune response by inhibiting B and T cell proliferation, preventing mononuclear cell differentiation and dendritic cell maturation, promoting the generation of regulatory T and B cells as well as macrophages.

➥ Thus, if the patient’s stored umbilical cord tissue is available, the efficiency of the whole process of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is higher because mesenchymal stem cells from the umbilical cord have immunomodulatory effects, limiting the infection and improving the patient’s condition after transplantation.

Therefore, to ensure the efficacy of storing stem cells, it is necessary to store both umbilical cord blood and cord tissue. Because both types are needed for future treatment (hematopoietic stem cell transplant): Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) help replenish blood and regenerate the immune system, cord tissue (MSC) helps improve body health status, immunomodulation, and restrict post-transplant infections.

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Cryoviva Vietnam Stem Cell Bank

Cryoviva Vietnam stem cell bank based on the first foreign technology transfer licensed by the Ministry of Health to operate in Vietnam.

With a team of skilled doctors, nurses and consultants who are always ready to support sampling across 63 provinces and accompanying benefits, including:
✓ The cost of storing stem cells is only with 3,2 million VND/month in 12 months
✓ Free shipping all over Vietnam
✓ 3 times compensation when there is a risk to the stored specimen.

Cryoviva Vietnam specializes in cell culture and storage with the most advanced technology in order to ensure cell quality according to Cleanroom Class 100 & 100,000 standards and coordinate with clinical research hospitals to apply stem cells in treatment.