COSTS
Lazaron is continuously working towards making
the service more affordable to parents. Currently the costs
are:
Collection and processing fee: R9 000 excluding VAT
Annual storage fee: R148 excluding VAT
Namibia collection and processing fee: R9 900 excluding VAT
Annual storage fee: R148 excluding VAT
PAYMENT OPTIONS
We at Lazaron understand that not all parents
might have the financial means to immediately meet the costs
and such we have various payment options in place to assist
new parents. Please discuss this with us.
STORAGE
Lazaron
already possesses the advanced know how for processing and optimizing
the yield of the babies' stem cells. These cells will be cryogenically
frozen and will be stored for the lifetime of a donor. Since
cord blood stem cell storage is a relatively new concept, the
longest reported sample yet stored remains in the order of 18
years.
Lazaron will store its samples
at two safe facilities removed from each other for security
purposes.
Stem cells are cryogenically
preserved in the Lazaron storage facility and the cells are
kept in a continuous frozen state at -196°C in liquid nitrogen.
PROCESS
The
umbilical cord blood will only be collected once the cord has
been clamped and separated from the baby.
In the process of collection,
a needle is inserted into one or more of the blood vessels in
the umbilical cord and blood is then quickly drained using a
bag or syringe technique. Sometimes, there are alternative methods
of collecting umbilical cord blood. These alternate methods
include putting the placenta attached to the umbilical cord
in a hanging position to allow blood to drain down from the
placenta through the inserted needle into the collection bag.
Blood begins to clot when a
blood vessel is injured. This will occur in the placental and
cord blood vessels after delivery of the baby. After delivery
a short period of time is available within which the cord blood
must be collected before it clots. The blood cannot be used
if it is already clotted. Thus, in most cases, there is a 5-10
minute window of opportunity to collect the umbilical cord blood
once the baby has been delivered.
The
number of stem cells available for harvesting is directly proportional
to the volume of cord blood collected. Therefore if more blood
is collected more stem cells will be available for harvest and
storage. The number of stem cells that are frozen may relate
to the usefulness of the product at a later time.
As with the collection of any
blood sample the attending physician will collect the specimen,
mark the sample and forward the sample to any one of the many
PathCare depots.
The PathCare couriers will forward
the sample to the Lazaron laboratories where the stem cells
will be extracted during a four hour process. This includes
volume reduction, centrifugation and wash steps. Finally the
stem cells are controlled rate frozen and stored in cryo vials
in liquid nitrogen tanks.
It is important that the specimen
reaches the Lazaron laboratories within 24 hours after collection.
THE
STORED STEM CELL
The stem cells are identified
in the laboratory by a certain characteristic on their surface
CD34+.
The specimen of cord blood that
is initially obtained is tested for the total number of cells
present and then the number of CD34 positive cells. The CD34+
cells represent a sub-reaction of the overall cell number, but
are the important cells. These are the cells that will be preserved
long term, as they are the cells that have the potential of
self-renewal and differentiation.
LENGTH OF STORAGE
According
to the New York State Department of Health Council on Human
Blood and Transfusion Services the following statement is important:
"There is no evidence at
present that cells stored at -196°C in undisturbed manner
lose either their in vitro determined viability or biological
activity. Therefore at the current time, no expiration date
need to be assigned to cord blood stored continuously under
liquid nitrogen."
REPORTED ADVANTAGES
OF STORING CORD BLOOD STEM CELLS
- At birth cord blood is readily
available form every baby.
- Cord blood is easily collected
at no risk to mother or child.
- Cord blood is often a superior
choice to bone marrow transplants for treating leukemia and
other immunological diseases.
- Reduced risk of graft versus
host disease.
- Lower risk of infectious diseases
in stem cells.
- Cord blood stem cells have
superior proliferate capacity.
- Cord blood collected from
a newborn has a 1 in 4 chance of being a perfect match for siblings.
- The possible use of stored
stem cells to bolster the immune system after certain treatments.
OTHER FORMS OF STEM
CELL STORAGE
As Lazaron continues its research,
the company will also focus on storing adult stem cells, particularly
for high risk groups.
The sample is usually taken
from the hip or fatty tissue which contains a rich source of
stem cells.
There is some debate amongst
experts about the purity of these cells taken from children
and adults, as they would have been exposed to environmental
factors whereas umbilical cord stem cells are "pure"
in the sense that they haven't had the same exposure over a
period of years.
TRANSPORTATION
The Collection Kit and Process
