186
VOLUME 8 NUMBER 4 • NOVEMBER 2011
DIABETES NEWS
SA JOURNAL OF DIABETES & VASCULAR DISEASE
Diabetes News
New stem cell cryopreservation laboratory in Cape Town
T
he use of stem cell technology in the
therapeutic arena is an increasingly tan-
gible objective in medical science. Currently,
the are 70 medical conditions (primarily
blood diseases) that can be treated by the
application of stem cell technology, with
more than 3 000 clinical trials in progress.
Future medical applications are continuously
being researched and discovered, among
which are some showing promising results
in human diabetes therapy.
As genetic understanding of type 1 diabe-
tes increases, the value of stem cell storage
could become a reality. The incidence of type
1 diabetes is on the increase globally. Recent
research among children with a family his-
tory of type 1 diabetes shows that Western
lifestyles and associated overweight/obesity
may trigger increased risk of Islet autoim-
munity, with associated increased insulin
resistance.
1
Internationally, trends reflect the impor-
tance of stem cell banking. These stem cells
can mean the difference between life and
death in the case of future threats to the
health of the donor. Saving stem cells at
birth is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportu-
nity for baby, siblings and parents. There is
a one-in-four chance of the tissue matching
the siblings and a one-in-eight chance of the
tissue matching the parents.
In the USA, transplants performed on
patients younger than 18 years of age show
that more than 50% of stem cell transplan-
tations have cord blood as the cell source.
It is legislated in 27 American states that
expectant parents have to be informed of
the possiblity of stem cell storage by their
attending medical expert.
Cryo-Save NV, the leading international
family stem cell bank, represented in 40
countries on four continents, already stores
185 000 samples from cord blood and
umbilical cord tissue for newborns, and
adipose tissue for adults. Cryo-Save South
Africa has opened a state-of-the-art stem
cell processing and storage laboratory in
Cape Town, providing best-practice medical
services with sound governance and com-
mercial practice.
Cryo-Save South Africa has employed
professional, dedicated and highly-skilled
staff to operate the new laboratory. Key
personnel have undergone specialised train-
ing at Cryo-Save’s state-of-the-art facility in
Belgium.
The Cape Town laboratory will immedi-
ately process and store cord tissue as well as
stem cells from cord blood. To ensure that
extracted stem cells are viable, flow cytom-
etry testing is performed prior to storage.
Cryopreservation storage facilities are not
dependant on electricity supply and are iso-
lated from external power cuts. Clients have
the option to store in South Africa or Bel-
gium, or to select dual storage of a sample
in South Africa and in Europe.
G Hardy
Couper JJ, Beresford S, Hirte C, Baghurts PA, Pollard
1.
A, Tait BD,
et al
. Weight gain in early life predicts
risk of Islet autoimmunity in children with a first-
degree relative with type 1 diabetes.
Diabetes Care
2009;
32
(1): 94–99.
Case study
A patient with a family history of type 1 diabetes mellitus is delighted that her daugh-
ter is pregnant. With the knowledge that the grandchild may be at risk of inheriting
this condition, the practitioner feels it suitable to advise stem cell storage from the
grandchild. Future stem cell therapy may be beneficial to the lifelong health of the
grandchild.
On registration, a collection kit and information pack are sent to the client.
•
Umbilical cord stem cells are collected immediately after birth by the attending
•
medical professional with no risk to either mother or child. The procedure is painless
and non-invasive and does not affect the natural sequences of birth at all.
Specialist medical couriers deliver the sample to the Cape Town laboratory within
•
24 hours, where the cells are professionally processed and stored according to the
highest international standards.
Contact
Tel: 0860 STEM CELLS (0860 7836 2355)
Tel: +27 11 803 4409
Fax: 086 219 9157
e-mail:
Web:
