Storage of cord blood for stem cell therapy is set to become more popular in India.
Stories of medical miracles always grab headlines and eyeballs. This one story however is doubly sweet, for it’s not about a life saved, but also involves bringing into the world another one.
Little Thamarabarani from Coimbatore owes her life to her infant brother, Pugazhendi, whose umbilical cord blood has breathed new life into hers. Thamarabharani was born with the genetic disorder thalassemia, which impairs the production of haemoglobin. From the time of the diagnosis, the girl had to depend on painful blood transfusions to live. But that isn’t the cure, for the transfusions provide only temporary respite. She would have needed a bone marrow transplant soon.
Since finding a matching donor is an arduous process, doctors advised the parents to have a second child whose umbilical cord blood would be harvested for stem cells. The stem cells were harvested on Pugazhendi’s birth and Thamarabarani’s genetically abnormal bone marrow was replaced with fresh stem cells. Five months on, Thamarabharani has been pronounced free of thalassemia and has a healthy sibling too, to whom she owes her life.
The patient’s family was helped financially by NGOs and philanthropists, and a stem cell bank that came forward to offer its services for free. The company LifeCell processed and stored the stem cells so they would be ready for the implantation at a later date.
LifeCell is among numerous biotechnology companies offering such services for a fee. The others are Cryosave India, Cryobanks India and ReliCord, with another company, Histostem, set to offer this service soon.
Stem cells, the companies say, are an “insurance” for newborn babies and adults from diseases such as cancer, leukaemia, spinal cord injuries, genetic disorders and much more. Though therapies for many diseases are either unavailable or not yet proven, companies say storing stem cells is worthwhile for any potential cures. They are so bullish about the future potential of stem cells that many also offer installment payment plans for storage.