|
The following article was gratefully provided by dr. Papadopoulos, chief operating officer of Thai StemLife. It explains the procedures involved in collecting and storing stem cells, and highlights the potential benefits of stem cell collection, as now available in Bangkok.
[this article first appeared in an advertorial, added to the Bangkok Post newspaper]
Stem cell collection and storage service available in Thailand Thailand is increasingly at the cutting edge of medical care and one of the most exciting areas in which this trend is evidenced is that of stem cell research, development and services to patients.
Leading the charge in partnership with medical scientists in Thailand and around the region, is THAI StemLife, a Thai majority-owned partnership with StemLife, one of the global leaders in the field.
Located in Bangkok, THAI StemLife offers the stem cells collection and storage service with several liquid nitrogen deep freeze storage tanks that can accommodate around 2,000 stem cell samples each. According to THAI StemLife's chief operating officer, Dr. Kostas I. Papadopoulos MD, PhD, the special qualities of stem cells result from their status as the primary building blocks of living organisms. As such, they are the purest, most potent and most versatile of all cells. The same stem cells can be used to regenerate bone marrow, skin tissue, nerves, muscle and even bones.
"Diseases as life-threatening as leukaemia and certain forms of cancers can be annihilated with doses of chemotherapy and radiotherapy as large as necessary, followed by growing a healthy new bone marrow from the stored stem cells," said Dr Papadopoulos. "Being an identical tissue match to the patient, the body will not reject the cells which is the big challenge with kidney and heart transplants."
"There are currently 72 diseases treatable with stem cells" said Dr. Papadopoulos. "These include almost any disease of the bone marrow. Besides leukaemia, treatments have been performed with lymphoma, multiple myeloma, aplastic anaemia, thalassemia (first cord blood transplant ever worldwide happened in Thailand) and many others. And the list is increasing as medical science progresses in leaps and bounds."
"Other areas using applications of stem cells include nerve and heart muscle regeneration as well as cosmetic applications. Treatments for paralysis that were not possible as recently as 2004 have been performed, including spinal cord rejoining. Full reversal of diabetic ulcers only became possible in 2005 but already a revolution in diabetes prognosis is unfolding, an area THAI StemLife is currently investigating along with Chulalongkorn University and the National Innovation Agency at the Ministry of Science and Technology, a shareholder of THAI StemLife" explained Dr. Papadopoulos.
"StemLife's experience in the region bears the statistics out. A sister operation in Malaysia that started earlier now has around 5,000 samples in storage and has booked two bone marrow transplants and several heart diabetes treatments. In one case, a two-year-old girl used stem cells taken from the umbilical cord of her brother and in another case a 14-year-old girl used her own stem cells to treat her lymphoma," added Dr. Papadopoulos.
THAI StemLife aims to collect 2,000 samples this year and has used the stem cells of a patient at a Thai hospital to produce a positive recovery from lymphoma.
The method of collecting stem cells is from the umbilical cord straight after birth. Once the cord is cut from the baby the blood in it is collected by the doctor in 5-10 minutes using a special collection kit. The stem cells are then separated from the plasma and red blood cells in the laboratory and are cryogenically frozen.
According to Dr. Papadopoulos, the procedure for collecting stem cells from adults people is known as peripheral blood stem cell collection. In this case, stem cells are collected from the veins of the arms after stimulating the formation of a surplus of stem cells using a natural growth factor in the human body. The stem cells are then filtered out of the blood stream and sent to the laboratory.
For 40,000 or 25,000 baht, THAI StemLife will collect and store cord blood stem cells for the first year. After the first year, storage costs 6,000 or 8,400 baht a year. Collection of stem cells from an adult person costs 179,000 baht plus storage fees starting at 12,000 baht a year. Packages are offered which reduce the fees substantially.
For further information regarding THAI StemLife, stem cells or cord blood banking visit the company's website at www.thaistemlife.co.th
|
