Cord blood stem cell storage services to be launched in Oman |
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MUSCAT -- A well-known private Omani company has tied up with the Dutch-headquarterd Cryo-Save Group to provide cord blood stem cell storage services for the first time in Oman. The initiative offers expectant mothers the opportunity to store their umbilical cord blood stem cells, for potential use by their offspring in stem-cell based therapies, according to a senior executive of Mustafa Sultan Science and Industry Co, which represents Cryo-Save in the Sultanate. "We are delighted to partner with Cryo-Save, the world's leading provider of cord blood stem cell storage services, in extending this advantage to young couples and the health sector in Oman," commented Sunil Mansukhani, General Manager of Mustafa Sultan Science and Industry Co.
"This service will be formally launched in Muscat on May 26, 2008 in the presence of top physicians from all the leading healthcare institutions in the government and private sectors." The umbilical cord, which is usually discarded after birth, holds a large store of stem cells that scientists believe can be used in the treatment of a number of disorders. By storing these stem cells, a child can gain access to its own young stem cells later in life, consequently benefiting from new therapeutic options that would otherwise be impossible. Siblings can also benefit from the same stem cells, it is pointed out. According to Mansukhani, umbilical cord blood stem cell storage offers particular advantages to couples and the medical fraternity in Oman, given the high incidence of blood disorders such as Sickle Cell Anaemia, Thalassaemia, leukaemia, and so on.
Couples that sign up for Cryo-Save's services can have their umbilical cord blood stem calls cryogenically stored for up to 20 years. "Prior to the delivery of the child, the customer receives a special collection kit with which the doctor or obstetrician collects the umbilical cord blood. A special courier dispatches the cord blood kit to Cryo-Save state-of-the-art laboratory in Dubai. In the laboratory, the blood is tested using the latest DNA techniques for the presence of infectious agents and microbiological contamination. The stem cells are then isolated and their quantity and quality determined. Vital stem cells are labelled, split and frozen. A proportion of them remains in Dubai, while the rest is stored at a second cryogenic storage site in Belgium. "Using unique barcodes, Cryo-Save can swiftly locate your child's stem calls and make them available to the doctor treating him or her.
The stem cells are kept for 20 years. Your child can then decide whether to extend storage," Mansukhani explained. Cryo-Save specializes in the processing of cord blood and the preservation of cord blood stem cells based on cryo-technology. Established in 2000, the company owns or has access to operating laboratory and storage facilities in Belgium, Germany and the United Arab Emirates. Through affiliates and partnerships in 37 countries, the company has already built up a portfolio of more then 70,000 customers. In the Middle East, Cryo-Save has set up the region's first private cord blood stem cell bank at the Dubai Biotechnology and Research Park.
Medical science sees stem cells as the key to a range of therapeutic applications. Many such stem cell applications fall in the category of 'regenerative medicine' the replacement or repair of damaged or lost tissue. Research shows that stem cells can repair heart muscle tissue after a heart attack. Scientists also hope that stem cells will play a role in the treatment of diabetes, lupus, juvenile arthritis, and gene therapy. Tissue engineering the artificial development of tissue also holds must promise when involving stem cells.
By Conrad Prabhu
© Oman Daily Observer 2008
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