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Netcells Biosciences is Africa's leading stem cell laboratory and
cryogenic biobank
based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Netcells
is accredited with the AABB and is the only cord blood bank on the
continent to hold this prestigious international accreditation.

Archive

         
     
             
August 2014    
   
         
     
         
 

Dear Netcells Parent,

Our August Newsletter has been compiled to inform you on what is happening in the stem cell industry as well as update you on Netcells Biosciences' news. It is extremely important that we continue to keep in touch with you, therefore if any of your contact details change please ensure that you send us an email updating us with your latest contact details. Click here if you need to notify us of any recent changes.

 
   
         
     
   

Diseases stem cells are currently being used to treat

     
     
   

In the April 2014 Parent Newsletter, we touched on the diseases that stem cells are currently being used to treat as well as clinical trials that are currently underway- view the summary of these diseases on the Parents Guide to Cord Blood Foundation website.

In this newsletter we highlight two blood diseases where the transplantation of haematopoietic stem cells from umbilical cord blood and bone marrow of HLA matched siblings has shown to be successful:

Sickle Cell Disease (SCD)

‘Sickle cell anaemia (sickle cell disease) is a disorder of the blood caused by an inherited abnormal haemoglobin (the oxygen-carrying protein within the red blood cells). The abnormal haemoglobin causes distorted (sickled) red blood cells.’ (www.medicinenet.com, William C. Shiel Jr)

Currently the only known cure for Sickle Cell Disease is a transplant of blood-forming stem cells from a healthy donor. About 10-25% of SCD patients have the severe form of the disease and cannot live without a transplant.

It is important for all SCD patients to be educated about the possibility of being cured with a stem cell transplant. Families who have one child with SCD and another who is unaffected, have the opportunity for the healthy sibling to serve as a stem cell donor for the SCD patient.

To read the full article, click here.

This was the case with the one of the Okoli siblings who had sickle cell disease and underwent a successful umbilical cord blood transplant with a cord blood unit from a sibling that was an HLA match.

This transplant was Virgin Health Bank’s first successful stem cell transplant.

Click here to read the inspiring story.

The Okoli Family- the eldest two children were both cured from Sickle cell disease.

 

Image courtesy of www.petridish.org

 

 

Information on SCD courtesy of
Parents Guide to Cord Blood
June newsletter- article
written by Naynesh Kamani,
MD, Division Director,
AABB centre for Cellular
therapies.

   
   

 

Thalassemia

Thalassemia is a group of inherited blood disorders that affect the body’s ability to produce haemoglobin and red blood cells which can result in mild or severe anaemia.

Transplantation of haematopoietic stem cells from umbilical cord blood and bone marrow of HLA matched siblings has been shown to be successful in the treatment of thalassemia. Disease free survival rates near 80-95%.1

One of India’s private cord blood banks, has released 30 successful cord blood transplants to date, out of which 21 were for thalassemia.

The preferred donor is a matching sibling, but with a growing number of one child families and only one in four chance of a sibling being a match, there is an increasing need for matched unrelated donors.

Read the article in the Parent's Guide to Cord Blood Foundation June Newsletter for more info on the patient outcomes.

 

 

 

References

1. Ruggeri A et al.; Umbilical cord blood transplantation for children with thalassemia and sickle cell disease; Biol Blood Marrow Transplant. 2011 Sept; 17(9); 1375-1382.

   
     
         
     
   

Could babies fight Cerebral Palsy with their own blood?

     
     
   

“Melbourne researchers have singled out three types of stem cells in the cord blood, as they prepare to trial giving Victorian babies back their own umbilical blood in the hope of preventing cerebral palsy.”

The researchers believe that stem cells from the umbilical cord blood could potentially help babies that are at the risk of developing cerebral palsy.

Here is the link to the full article.

     
     
         
     
   

DHA Omega-3 supplements in Mom’s diets boosts Stem Cells in Baby’s Cord Blood

     
     
   

DHA is an Omega-3 fatty acid that is found in fish oil and breast milk. Many studies are exploring how prenatal supplements of DHA can improve the health of new-borns and young children.

SmartBank, an Italian stem cell bank, recently conducted a trial which found that pregnant women who took DHA supplements/fish oil from gestation week 20 until delivery had a higher CD34+ percentage (a measure of stem cells) in their baby’s cord blood.

Click here to read the full article.

 

References

Denburg JA, Hatfield HM, Cyr MM, Hayes L, Holt PG, Sehmi R, Dunstan JA & Prescott SL. Fish Oil Supplementation in Pregnancy Modifies Neonatal Progenitors at Birth in Infants at Risk of Atopy 2005; Pediatric Research 57:276-281; doi:10.1203/01.PDR.0000148279.72611.1D PMID:24232253.

   
     
         
     
   

Netcells Common Parent FAQs

     
     
   
  • What happens if we plan on emigrating?
    Netcells recommends keeping the stem cells stored in South Africa to avoid any unnecessary risk of moving them. You also need to remember that if you ever need them for transplant, the treating physician may be in another country, so it is best to only then move them once needed. However if parents wish to move the stem cells they can be shipped in their frozen state anywhere in the world to another stem cell bank that accepts them for storage. The cost of this is however for the clients own account.
     
  • What happens after the initial storage contract expires?
    Netcells will contact you to find out if you would like to continue storing your baby’s stem cells. You will be able to continue storage by purchasing a further 5 or 10 year’s storage. Currently storage fees average around R250 per annum, so the fees in 10 years will be broadly consistent with this, adjusted for inflation.
     
  • How do I go about settling my account with Netcells in full or a portion thereof, if I am on a payment plan?
    If you have selected one of Netcells payment plans but would like to settle your account, then contact our accounts department (accounts@netcells.co.za) to request a statement. The remaining unutilised debit order administration fee will then be credited against your account once settlement is received.
     
  • Has anyone needed to use any of the cord blood units banked at Netcells?
    Fortunately, none of our babies for whom we have stem cells stored have actually needed them. We have however had a few siblings who potentially needed the stem cells and whose doctors requested HLA-typing. Out of these some were matches and we are still awaiting the request for these stem cells to be to be used in treatment. Our sister company Smart Cells has already released 9 cord blood units for transplant-click here for more information on the samples that have been released.
     
     
     
         
 

Accreditation

 
Netcells is accredited by the American Association of blood banks (AABB) which is the certification of choice for blood banking, transfusion medicine, blood management and cellular therapies and is recognised worldwide.

To find out more about the AABB Accreditation Program click here.

What does Accreditation really mean? Click here to find out more.

     
         
     
   

Netcells Services

     
     
   

Click on a service for more information.

       
     
         
     
   

Discovery Health

     
     
   

Just a reminder that Discovery Health has partnered exclusively with Netcells Biosciences to offer its members up to a 25% discount off the price of stem cell storage with Netcells. Great news for those of you that are Discovery Health members and have another baby on the way.

For more information visit the Netcells website or the Discovery Health website.

     
     
         
     
   

Photographs

     
     
   

Thank you to those of you that have sent us adorable photos of your little ones- if you go onto the Netcells website you can view all the photos.


Anna Spencer
born on 22nd May 2014

 


Bridget Nunes Gutierrez
born on 1st May 2014

 
 

If you have not yet sent us a photo then please do as we would love to include photos of our special little stem cell babies’ on our website.

Please email photos to catherine.brazier@netcells.co.za (please indicate if you are happy for us to load onto the Netcells website as well as our Facebook page)

   
     
         
   

 

Best Regards

Catherine Brazier
Marketing and Communications Manager

 

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Netcells Biosciences (Pty) Limited
Reg. No.: 2004/026428/07
International Business Gateway
corner New Road & 6th
Midrand, 1685, Johannesburg
PO Box 1664, Parklands 2121, South Africa
Telephone: +27 (0)11 697 2900
Facsimile: +27 (0)11 697 2901

0861 NETCELLS