LifeCell records preservation of over 5,000 stem cells

The company will also undertake high-cost, high resolution HLA typing of samples, based on next generation sequencing

Within four months of launch, LifeCell’s registry has recorded preservation of over 5,000 qualified units available for sharing with an unrelated patient within the community.

According to a company release, all the units in the registry meet the current US FDA standards for listing, thereby addressing the concern that the medical fraternity world over has on the quality of samples stored in private banks. LifeCell will also undertake the high-cost, high resolution HLA typing of samples, based on next generation sequencing. This brings a host of benefits as against the relatively low-cost, low-resolution HLA typing.

Speaking about the milestone, Mayur Abhaya, CEO, LifeCell said,“The community banking model amalgamates the open access of a public bank with the availability of precious, vast yet underutilised stem cell resources of a private bank, all this at no additional cost and within the framework of a community. This has laid the ground for the creation of an unprecedented, Indian origin stem cell registry. We envision a time, in the not too distant future, when families in need of stem cells for transplants have to look no further than our registry for matching samples. Our hi-resolution sequencing of HLA typing would escalate the standards in the search of matching units for transplants. A country with such a large population deserves this and we believe our endeavour would ensure that in the coming times, patients would have no inferior access to high quality, well matched samples.”