10 things you need to know about stem cell banking

1. 10 things you need to know about stem cellbanking With the recent advances in the field of medicine, stem cells have become a life saviour for the donor and their family. Some of the diseases it has helped treat include cancer, Alzheimer’s, immune disorders and so on. And that’s not all, research is being carried out to find out the use of stem cells for treatment of several other life threatening diseases. If you want to know more about stem cell banking, here is a list of ten things that you would like to know. 1. It’s a painless procedure The first thought that comes in our minds while thinking of any medical procedure is the pain that it will cause just like dental extractions. But the good part is stem cell banking is entirely painless as these cells can be taken from cord blood or even your baby teeth that you lose gradually. 2. It takes just 5 minutes Yes, stem cells are easy to collect and the time taken in this entire procedure is just 5 minutes. Just like the way you Maggie get ready in 5 minutes, so can this procedure be done? 3. Helps in the treatment of multiple diseases At present, stem cells are being used to treat approx 80 diseases. Research is still being carried out for incorporating these cells in various other treatments. 4. It is beneficial for all in a family Stem cells from mother or baby’s teeth can be used for anyone in the same family. They are an excellent match for the donor’s siblings as well. 5. Ethically sound Stem cell banking is an ethically sound procedure and there are no religious issues associated with it as well.

2. 6. It is just like any other routine procedure Each year, more than 30000 stem cell banking procedures are done in India as well as abroad which make it as a routine procedure. 7. Stem cells can be stored up to 20 years The cells present in our body usually have a shorter life span. But these cells can be kept for 20 years under certain conditions and can be used whenever required. 8. Success rate is 100% As per the recent studies, there is 100 percent success rate in all the cases where stem cells have been used as the treatment option. 9. Stems cells are easily accessible Stem cells once collected and stored are quite easy to access at any point of time in hassle free way. All you need to do is just call your stem cell banking company and tell them you need your cells back and they’ll send them back to you with proper care. 10. It comes at a cost that’s not cheap The only drawback of this procedure is that it is costly and may cost up to 1 lakh / yr to keep your stem cells safe. Undoubtedly, stem cells are a big boom in the field of medicine. Besides the only drawback of being a costly procedure, it has innumerable benefits that make stem cell banking a decision that is helpful for an entire family.