Public Donation versus Private Storage
| PRIVATE | PUBLIC | |
|---|---|---|
| Why participate? | Privately banking your newborn’s stem cells ensu | Public donation of stem cells increases our national supply of cord blood samples to help save people needing a suitable stem cell match. |
| Will suitable stem cells be available for my child? | Cellsense ensures the availability of stored umbilical cord blood stem cells for the child whom they were collected, when it is required. |
|
| How long are the stem cells kept for your child’s access? | Cellsense will store a child's stem cells for 18 years. Following 18 years, your child may take responsibility of his/her own stem cells and continue secure storage should they desire. | There are no guarantees that your child’s stem cells will be saved or available to you in the future. |
| Who will have legal authority of my child’s cord blood stem cells? | During the initial 18 years, parents remain guardians of their child’s stem cells and have the discretion as to how the stem cells are applied. | Donated cord blood can not be specifically directed to an individual because parents sign away all ownership (but maintain a confidential link to your id for tracking purposes). |
| Who can use my child’s cord blood? | Your child’s stem cells are stored for use by your child. | Your child’s stem cells are stored for use by patients requiring donor stem cells, anywhere across the world. |
| Will my child’s stem cells be used for research purposes? | Cellsense never uses your child’s sample to conduct research - ALL possible stem cells collected are stored. | Publicly banked stem cells may be used for research applications. |
| What is the benefit of using my child’s stem cells? | The collected and stored stem cells are a 100% tissue match to the child it was collected from. Consequently, there are NO complications due to Graft versus Host disease (GVHD). (1) | Chronic GVHD affects more than 55% of matched unrelated donor transplant recipients and about 80% of mismatched recipients. GVHD increases therapy failure and can be life-threatenin |
| If required, how long does it take for stem cells to be available? | Privately banked stem cells can be tested and available for release to the patient’s physician quickly. This can occur within several weeks. | From selection of donor to procurement of stem cells can take approximately 4-6 months. HLA-matched donors may not be available when needed as a result of geographic movements, name change, motivation loss over time, medical disqualificatio |
| Is this service available for my family? | Cellsense private cord blood collection is a 24/7 service, operating Australia-wide. | Umbilical cord blood is often discarded following births. Public collections operate on specific days and times, and only at a limited number of accredited hospitals. |
| Does it cost anything to bank cord blood? | Collection, processing and storage for 18 years typically costs arou | There is no cost to the parent to collect and donate your newborn’s cord blood following birth. Public banks charge approximately $35,000 for each sample released for transplant. |
| Sources: | (1) Blood, 1 June 2003, Vol 101, No11 pp4233/44 |
| Pediatric Nursing Jan 2000, p105 |