LifeCell International has expanded its Community Cord Blood Banking Registry to over 75,000 qualified cord blood units, offering a significant resource for Indian-origin patients requiring stem cell transplants. The company, established in 2004, pioneered the Community Cord Blood Stem Cell Banking model, where donated cord blood units are accessible to a wider community, not just the donating family.
Cord blood stem cells are increasingly used in the treatment of over 90 life-threatening conditions, including blood cancers, blood disorders, bone marrow failure syndromes, metabolic disorders and immune disorders. Currently, India faces a substantial gap between the need for stem cell transplants – estimated at over 50,000 annually – and the number actually performed, which is around 2,000. In more than 90 percent of blood-related conditions, a patient cannot utilize their own stored cord blood and requires a donor.
LifeCell’s approach addresses this challenge by creating a larger, readily available pool of stem cells specifically from Indian donors. The company notes that individuals have a higher probability of finding a matching donor within their own ethnic community, making its Indian-origin inventory particularly valuable. LifeCell currently stands as India’s largest and the world’s third-largest umbilical cord stem cell bank, having preserved over 350,000 cord blood samples.
The registry’s expansion is intended to improve access to stem cell transplants for patients in India. LifeCell’s facilities at Chennai and Gurugram have received accreditation from organizations including the AABB, the College of American Pathologists, the National Accreditation Board for Laboratories, and the World Health Organization, and are also registered with the US FDA. The company also offers diagnostic services, including prenatal screening and newborn screening.
LifeCell’s Community Banking Program is designed to benefit not only the baby from whom the cord blood is collected, but also their immediate and extended family, as well as the broader community. The program’s success relies on the continued growth of the registry, increasing the likelihood of finding a suitable match for anyone in need of a transplant.