Before decision

Because the choice of a company for collection and storage of your stem cells is a serious decision, to make it easier for you, we have written the following important questions before your final choice.

1. Has the bank been certified and inspected from a public authority?
2. Does the company work legally in Greece?
3. Does it collaborate with a hospital or a big research center?
4. The process, the quality controls and the storage of the sample is performed in the company’s own laboratories?
5. The equipment that are used in the laboratories are specially designed for the use of stem cell samples or are they used to perform other medical tests or other cells storage?
6. The reagents and the equipment that are used have the label CE and are they designed exclusively for human use?
7. Have stem cells that have been stored by the bank been used for a transplantation and what was the result?
8. What happens in the case of sample’s contamination or small volume?
9. Is the collection kit of the sample easy and safe to use from the obstetrician/nurse? Are they prepared in the case of premature birth?
10. What measures have been taken in the case of company’s bankruptcy?
11. Is the staff of the company available any time to answer all your queries or solve any problem before, during, or after the collection of the sample?
12. is the cost of the process-storage of the sample within logical bound? Is there the possibility of a financial settlement?
13. Is the cost of the services stable the next 20 years or there is a possibility to rise?
14. In the case of inability of the parents to pay directly the company, what will be the consequences for the sample and the process of its storage?
15. In case of twin birth or when the storage is performed for a second child of the family is there any discount?
16. How the company guarantees the safe transport of the sample from the hospital to the laboratories and how long it is take?
17. Does the company provide support to the parents in the case of illness of the child from a serious disease that could be treated with the stored stem cells?
18. Is there a guidance in case of illness and are the parents constantly informed for the new areas if stem cell applications?

REASONS TO CHOOSE BIOHELLENIKA FOR YOUR BABY STEM CELLS COLLECTION AND PRESERVATION

• Biohellenika is an AABB (American Association of Blood Banks) accredited company that ensures the quality and the acceptance of stored cells in hospitals all over the world for autologous or family treatment.

• It is the first private company in Greece that is licensed by the National Transplant Organization

• Biohellenika is accredited by the National Accreditation System (ESYD) for all tests that must be done in stem cells and mother’s blood for a successful cryopreservation and treatment.

• Biohellenika provides double storage facilities in its labs in Athens and Thessaloniki for safety reasons and for emergency treatments. So every patient can reach his/her sample immediately.

• Proceeds the whole length of umbilical cord and give the clients the highest number of mesenchymal stem cells, ready to use. This procedure is protected by the patent No 1007490. According to this method there is no need of cell proliferation, to increase the number of cells, a procedure that is not permitted at first by the law, needs time to be accomplished, it is not safe and the quality of cells after proliferation is different than the initial.

• Biohellenika does not cryopreserve the umbilical cord in pieces, but at first extract the cells from the total length and then preserve the cells in more vials, ready to use up on the request.

• Provide a second selection of hematopoietic stem cells directly from placenta after perfusion, a method that is protected by the patent No 1007478). By this second selection a double number of haematopoietic stem cells stored that is enough to treat overweight patients with malignant diseases and also for more than one use.

• Biohellenika uses an AABB accredited Traceability system, ISBT 128, that follows the sample after enrolment and ensures a safe treatment.

• All samples are tested for microbe contamination and in case of detection the cells are treated with the appropriate antibiotics.

• All cord blood samples and mother’s blood are tested for virus contamination of hepatitis B, C, HIV and CMV by PCR method and the mother it is not necessary to repeat these tests six months later.

• Biohellenika inform parents after procedure with the appropriate medical document that describes the total number of nucleated cells, the haematopoietic and mesenchymal stem cells, by flow cytometry, microbiology and virology tests.

• Biohellenika pryopreserves the stem cells in multiple cryovials, integrally attached, system protected by the patent 1007483, that permits each time to use the appropriate number of cells.

• 805 autologous treatments with the stem cells that are stored in Biohellenika’s labs have been successfully completed up to now.

• According to article 3 of the Private Agreement that signed by Biohellenika and parents for the 20 years storage, Biohellenika provides the cells in 48 hours after a written request.

• Biohellenika provides free medical consultation until the expiration date of the Private Agreement by a highest quality team of Academic Doctors.