Chennai sees good response in stem cell banking

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu is getting a good response in the preservation of cord blood stem cells as more people volunteering.

Chennai has seen at least 100 to 150 registrations every month with LifeCell, which has a community stem cell banking system to ensure preservation of adequate number of qualified cord blood stem cells.

“Chennai has seen the highest contribution in the country with adequate awareness and monthly participation of voluntary donors is to be appreciated in the city,” a representative from LifeCell said.

LifeCell recently completed preservation of 60,000 qualified cord blood units in its repository of Indian origin stem cells. Currently, cord blood stem cells have found life-saving applications in the treatment of more than 80 cancerous and non-cancerous disorders, including multiple myeloma, thalassemia, aplastic anaemia, and more.

Experts say, there is a need for 50,000 stem cell transplants every year in India, compared to the current transplantation rate of 2,000. Moreover, in more than 90 per cent of blood-related disorders, stem cells from a healthy donor are required for the treatment as own stem cells cannot be used. Since an individual’s best chance of finding a donor may be with someone of the same ethnic background, LifeCell’s repository with 60,000 qualified cord blood units ensures more than 97 per cent chance of finding a match.

Ishaan Khanna, CEO - LifeCell International, said, “Community stem cell banking is aimed at providing access to novel and life-saving treatment options for every Indian. We have several success stories including the first community double cord blood unit transplant. We are trying to make it easier to find matching cord blood units for Indian families.”