Useful Website
parentsguidecordblood.org
Diseases which have been treated by blood stem cells
cordblood.com
Transplants of the US provider CBR
viacord.com
Transplants of the US provider Viacord
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Questions and answers
How does my child benefit if I store his blood of the umbilical cord?
Umbilical cord blood offers you as parents and your child a new kind of preventive option. Studies currently in progress are investigating the therapy of age-related diseases, such as heart attack, stroke, arteriosclerosis and diabetes. If you store your child’s stem cells, you know that they will be available when your child needs them and keep all options open to it – regardless of its age.
Umbilical cord blood offers you as parents and your child a new kind of preventive option. Studies currently in progress are investigating the therapy of age-related diseases, such as heart attack, stroke, arteriosclerosis and diabetes. If you store your child’s stem cells, you know that they will be available when your child needs them and keep all options open to it – regardless of its age.
If the blood of the umbilical cord is so valuable, why doesn’t everybody store it?
Because even today most people do not know enough about it and decide against it, because they do not have sufficient knowledge. One reason will probably be that the storage of stem cells costs money. Vita 34 therefore offers all parents convient monthly instalments of less than EUR 20.Talk to us and we will find a solution for you.
Can the stem cells also be used for the benefit of the parents or brothers and sisters?
In principle, yes. It is crucial that the tissue features match. This is similar to donating an organ. Only if the tissue features of the donator and recipient match, are there no dangerous rejection reactions after a transplantation. The probability that the umbilical cord blood is also suited to the parents is unfortunately only around one percent. The chances are a lot better for treating a brother or sister with the blood of the umbilical cord. Here there is a 25% probability that the tissue features will match. Where the umbilical cord blood is used within the same family, Vita 34 will determine the necessary HLA characteristics as part of the Vita 34 Max packet.
Because even today most people do not know enough about it and decide against it, because they do not have sufficient knowledge. One reason will probably be that the storage of stem cells costs money. Vita 34 therefore offers all parents convient monthly instalments of less than EUR 20.Talk to us and we will find a solution for you.
Can the stem cells also be used for the benefit of the parents or brothers and sisters?
In principle, yes. It is crucial that the tissue features match. This is similar to donating an organ. Only if the tissue features of the donator and recipient match, are there no dangerous rejection reactions after a transplantation. The probability that the umbilical cord blood is also suited to the parents is unfortunately only around one percent. The chances are a lot better for treating a brother or sister with the blood of the umbilical cord. Here there is a 25% probability that the tissue features will match. Where the umbilical cord blood is used within the same family, Vita 34 will determine the necessary HLA characteristics as part of the Vita 34 Max packet.
My midwife is sceptical as regards blood of the umbilical cord, why is this?
In direct conversations, Vita 34 has found that midwives are not sceptical as regards blood of the umbilical cord as a rule. Indeed, midwives are in fact very curious and would like comprehensive and in-depth information. It has been shown here that initially sceptical midwives are far more open and favourable as regards this topic after expert meetings or further education events. If you get the feeling that your midwife would like to learn more, we will be happy to send her expert literature or invite her to an information event with stem cell experts.
Have stem cells from the blood of the umbilical cord already been used?
Yes, thousands of times. In Japan and the US, which are both global leaders in the area of blood of the umbilical cord, blood of the umbilical cord is in some areas used more often than bone marrow. Cancer and metabolism diseases, for instance, are treated as well as brain injuries. Doctors around the world will vouch for our competence in the use of umbilical cord blood. With the exception of Vita 34, there is no German company whose blood of the umbilical cord has already passed the practical test.
Why are personal stem cells the first choice?
Personal stem cells and new cells extracted from them are fully tolerated by the body. External stem cells have other tissue features and therefore always cause rejection reactions. Inasmuch as treatment allows, body-own stem cells are therefore preferred. An exception is the treatment of leukaemia. Here, the preference is for suitable stem cell donators from the family, because they provide the greatest chance of matching tissue features. With the exogenous stem cells, the healthy immune system of the donator is also passed on to the patient. Even individual remaining leukaemia cells are attacked and destroyed by the new immune defence system.
What is the blood of the umbilical cord capable of which bone marrow isn’t?
The decisive factor for the success of the therapy is the age of stem cells. The younger the stem cells, the more they are capable of. Latest studies even show that certain age-related diseases, such as arteriosclerosis, only occur when the stem cells of the person affected have become too old to repair the damage themselves. For this reason, only persons between the ages of 18 and 45 are preferred as bone marrow donors. Good to know: all preparations are stored at Vita 34 as whole blood. In doing so, we avoid discarding valuable stem cells or elements of the blood of the umbilical cord which are today not yet used. We also ensure that every child has the maximum amount of stem cells available.
Is the recovery of blood of the umbilical cord difficult?
No, quite the opposite. It is indeed the simple and risk-free recovery which makes the blood of the umbilical cord such an interesting source for stem cells. When your child has been born and the umbilical cord cut, the blood is recovered from the rest of the umbilical cord which is still connected to the placenta. Neither mother nor child feels anything.
Can the blood of the umbilical cord be used everywhere?
The blood of the umbilical cord may only be recovered in Germany if the delivering team was trained personally and on-site by the relevant bank for the blood of the umbilical cord. Vita 34 has carried out training sessions throughout Germany and also has the relevant authorisation from the authorities. Therefore, the recovery of blood of the umbilical cord is possible in nearly every birth clinic.
What happens when my child needs the stem cells?
Vita 34 has its own laboratory which is manned every day and a reliable courier who is available 24/7. So, if speed is required, we can bring the stem cells to any hospital in Germany within hours - of course the blood is well tested before. In most cases, where the blood of the umbilical cord from Vita 34 has been used so far, we were in contact with the parents and the attending doctors for several months before a date was set for the stem cell transplantation.
Are the stem cells also sufficient for treatment once my child has grown up?
As a rule, adults can also be treated with the blood of the umbilical cord. Every third use of the blood of the umbilical cord has been in adults across the globe. After recovering the blood of the umbilical cord, the amount of cells in it is analysed in depth. But even if it is not ideal for the body of an adult, there are good chances for successful treatment, because state-of-the-art methods allow proliferating the amount of stem cells. Currently, these methods are still being tested clinically, but by the time your child has grown up, they should be routine.
Who are the people behind Vita 34?
Vita 34 was founded by doctors and is managed by doctors. The head physician, Dr Eberhard Lampeter, worked in medical research for many years and founded Vita 34 on the basis of his experience with stem cells. In addition to doctors, Vita 34 also employs several biologists, chemists, biochemists and laboratory experts – all for the purposes of ensuring best possible quality and maximum security.
What experience does Vita 34 have?
Vita 34 was founded in 1997 and thus has the most experience in Germany in the area of storing stem cells. Some 85,000 stem cell preparations have already been produced in our laboratory. Many methods, which are nowadays standard in Germany, were developed by us.
What does the name Vita 34 mean?
Vita is the Latin word for life. The number 34 stands for the surface molecule CD 34, which characterises blood-forming stem cells. Our name symbolises the responsibility of the company and its employees. It stands for a secure, high-quality storage of the stem cells and thus for the protection of life.
Vita is the Latin word for life. The number 34 stands for the surface molecule CD 34, which characterises blood-forming stem cells. Our name symbolises the responsibility of the company and its employees. It stands for a secure, high-quality storage of the stem cells and thus for the protection of life.