FAQ

Public banks store stem cells from cord blood with only purpose their transplantation in histocompatible patients that suffer from malignant or inherent diseases of the hematopoetic system.  They do not consider their use for applications of regenerative medicine.  The collection of blood from the umbilical cord for public banking is done only in specific hospitals. A part of the blood is used for typing the histocompatibility of the child. Because for obvious reasons the type of histocompatibility is strictly confidential and private matter the cells are stored and put into order according to histocompatibility  and non to the name of the donor.

In private storage banks  the stem cells are put into order according to the identity of the donor because they will be used only by the child and his/her family.  In this way they are directly available when they are needed.  In this case no histocompatibility tests are allowed, unless they are requested from the child himself or his doctors.

The storage of stem cells in a public bank is good for the society, because the cells are available to anyone that is in need. On the other hand, a private bank gives the possibility for someone to store his own stem cells for private use or for his family and this is for him a unique chance.  It is something like a life insurance, not only in case that a member of the family, presents some disease that today is treated with stem cell transplantation, but also for the future, for diseases that are now in the clinical trials, as are diabetes and multiple sclerosis.  These diseases as most applications in the future need stem cells of the patient himself and in these cases public banking can not help.