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FAQ

1. What is Cord Blood?
2. What is a Stem Cell?
3. What is an embryonic Stem Cell
4. What are adult Stem Cells?
5. Why is Cord Blood so Valuable?
6. Are cord blood stem cells different from other sources adult stem cells (such as bone marrow)
7. What are the other sources of stem cells?
8. What are the advantages of using cord blood stem cells as opposed to stem cells collected from bone marrow or circulating blood?
9. Why should I bank my baby’s cord blood stem cells?
10. Why should I bank my baby’s cord blood at Cryosite?
11. Is it true that doctors would not treat a child with his or her own cord blood because it would contain the disease?
12. Current research into cord blood stem cells
13. What does “autologous” mean?
14. When is the cord blood collected? Is the collection procedure risky or painful?
15. How is the cord blood collected?
16. I am having a caesarian; can I still have my cord blood collected?
17. What happens with a forceps or vacuum assisted birth?
18. What happens after the cord blood is collected?
19. How much blood needs to be collected?
20. How is the cord blood stored?
21. What happens when Cryosite receives the cord blood?
22. How long can cord blood be stored for?
23. Can I donate my child's cord blood?
24. What is the difference between Public and Private cord blood banking
25. How much does it cost?
26. Are there any extra charges if my baby is born on a weekend or a public holiday?
27. Are there any extra charges if I live in a remote part of Australia?
28. What is family cord blood banking?

1. What is Cord Blood?
Cord Blood is the blood that remains in the placenta and umbilical cord following birth. Cord blood contains a mixture of many types of cells, including stem cells, which are the ‘building blocks’ of all other cells in the body. Cord blood also contains haematopoietic stem cells (HSC’s) which have the ability to develop into all types of human blood cells.

Until recently the placenta and umbilical cord were discarded after delivery as medical waste, but now research has shown that during pregnancy, cord blood becomes a rich source of blood (haematopoetic) stem cells, which can be collected, processed and cryopreserved for potential future use. The applications of cord blood are similar to those of adult bone marrow and are currently used to treat diseases and conditions of the blood or to restore the blood system after treatment for specific cancers.

2. What is a Stem Cell?
A stem cell is a cell that has the ability to divide (self replicate) for indefinite periods—often throughout the life of the organism. Under the right conditions, or given the right signals, stem cells can give rise (differentiate) to the many different cell types that make up the organism. That is, stem cells have the potential to develop into mature cells that have characteristic shapes and specialised functions, such as heart cells, skin cells, or nerve cells.

Your body uses its stem cells to maintain healthy normal tissue and to repair damaged or worn out cells and tissue.

Cord blood contains stem cells that are the building blocks of all types of blood cells and are responsible for producing all of the mature cells in our blood and immune system. They form the white cells that fight infection and produce immunity, the red cells that carry oxygen and platelets that promote clotting.

3. What is an embryonic Stem Cell?
Embryonic stem cells are derived from embryos and are isolated from the inner cell mass of a developing embryo. Embryonic stem cells are the subject of much current international research as they have the potential to be stimulated to develop into specialised cells, and so may offer the possibility of a renewable source of replacement cells and tissue to treat a wide range of diseases, conditions and disabilities. Embryonic stem cells are seen as potentially controversial due to their source.

Cord blood stem cells are adult stem cells. They are NOT embryonic stem cells and as such the collection, storage and clinical use of cord blood stem cells is not controversial.

4. What are adult Stem Cells?
Adult stem cells are undifferentiated cells, found in developed tissues and organs, which can renew themselves and can differentiate to form the specialised cell types found in different tissues and organs. The primary role of adult stem cells is to maintain and repair the tissue in which they are found.

Many adult tissues contain stem cells that can replace cells that die or restore tissue after injury. For example, skin, muscle, intestine and bone marrow, each contain their own stem cells. In the bone marrow, billions of new blood cells are made every day from blood-forming stem cells.

Adult stem cells are tissue-specific, meaning they are found in a given tissue in our bodies and generate the mature cell types within that particular tissue or organ. It is not clear whether all organs, such as the heart, contain stem cells. The term ‘adult stem cell’ includes “cord blood stem cells”.

5. Why is Cord Blood so Valuable?
Because cord blood is rich in blood stem cells, they can easily be collected and cryopreserved in case they are needed later in life. Umbilical cord blood contains blood stem cells, called Haematopoietic stem cells (HSC’s). Haematopoietic stem cells reside in the bone marrow and mature into blood cells that carry oxygen to our tissues (red blood cells) and make up our immune system (white blood cells). Chemotherapy and other cancer treatments can destroy these blood stem cells. When these stem cells are destroyed they need to be replaced. Putting stem cells back into the bone marrow is called “Haematopoietic Reconstitution”.

“Cord blood transplantation is widely accepted for use in the paediatric transplant community.” “Umbilical cord blood has been used successfully in related transplants for both malignant and non-malignant diseases.” Ballen 2005

“Human umbilical cord blood, with its real abundance, simple collection procedure and no serious ethical dilemmas, represents a valuable alternative to the use of other stem cell sources.” Ruhil et al. 2009

Often, donor stem cells that match the patient are difficult to obtain. However, stem cells taken from your baby are a guaranteed match for your baby for his or her lifetime.
References:

6. Are cord blood stem cells different from other sources adult stem cells (such as bone marrow)?
Cord blood stem cells differ from other types of adult stem cells. Cord blood stem cells are biologically younger and have unique qualities and advantages compared to other sources of adult stem cell such as bone marrow:
• There is less risk of complications when used in transplants.[1]
• They are immediately available, and early treatment can minimise disease progression.[2]
• A complication of bone marrow haematopoietic stem cell transplants is graft versus host disease where the donor’s stem cells attack the patient's tissues. Because cord blood stem cells are collected before the immune system is matured, the risk is much lower than with other adult stem cells. For autologous use (where a child’s cord blood has been banked for their own use) this risk is eliminated.
• Freezing them "stops the clock" and protects them from environmental damage (such as radiation, chemicals), age, and viruses that would otherwise impact adult stem cells in our bodies over time.[3]
• As they are younger, they have the ability to grow faster and for longer than stem cells from other adult sources.
• Collection of cord blood is simple, safe, and painless.
References:

7. What are the other sources of stem cells?
Bone marrow: Stem cells can be collected from the bone marrow. However, the collection procedure is invasive, time-consuming, requires an anaesthetic and is painful for the donor. Perhaps the biggest hurdle in bone marrow stem cell transplantation remains the finding of a perfect match. This has proven to be quite difficult and sometimes impossible.
Peripheral Blood: The use of bone marrow has primarily been replaced by collecting stem cells from the circulating (peripheral) blood (often from adult donors as part of their treatment for their underlying disease).

8. What are the advantages of using cord blood stem cells as opposed to stem cells collected from bone marrow or circulating blood?
Tissue type is determined by a set of genes that make proteins called human leukocyte antigens (HLAs), which are found on the surfaces of all body cells (except red blood cells). The immune system recognises cells carrying the HLA proteins it has encountered since birth as normal, or belonging to the particular individual or "self". Any other HLA proteins are regarded as "non-self", or foreign and cells carrying them are quickly killed. There are six major HLA genes. Every person has two of each, one from each parent. For bone marrow transplants, doctors aim to match the six alleles that are most clinically relevant in transplantation.

Cord blood stem cells are immunologically immature and can tolerate an element of mismatch, allowing doctors to use donor cord blood samples with a degree of mismatch. Cord blood stem cells have a number of significant advantages over bone marrow including:
• high rate of engraftment
• more tolerant of tissue mismatches
• results in a lower rate of rejection (graft-vs-host disease)

9. Why should I bank my baby’s cord blood stem cells?
“Cord blood transplantation is widely accepted for use in the paediatric transplant community.” “Umbilical cord blood has been used successfully in related transplants for both malignant and non-malignant diseases.” Ballen 20052

Thankfully, the chances of your baby developing any of these conditions are small, but should your child ever require a transplant of stem cells to treat a specific illness, finding a compatible donor can take valuable time or at times be unsuccessful – however, the cells we store from your baby are immediately available.

Many parents see the storage of their baby’s cord blood as a worthwhile investment for potential future treatment of diseases in children or adults. The knowledge that their child’s stem cells are stored and readily available gives enormous peace of mind and makes their decision to store their baby’s cord blood a highly satisfying one.

References:

10. Why should I bank my baby’s cord blood at Cryosite?
Cryosite was Australia’s first and leading private cord blood bank. In 2001, Cryosite pioneered private cord blood banking in Australia, and since this time we have continuously provided this service to parents in our own TGA licensed laboratories. To date, more than 600 obstetricians have participated in collecting cord blood for our clients at more than 250 hospitals and birthing centres throughout Australia, New Zealand and SE Asia.

By choosing Cryosite to store your child’s cord blood, you have the confidence that comes with knowing you have chosen the company that has always been at the forefront of cord blood banking.
• Cryosite was the first to offer Australian parents the option of private cord blood banking in 2002
• Cryosite was the first to be awarded full regulatory approvals and licenses
• Cryosite has owned and operated its own fully licensed cord blood laboratories since 2001.
• Cryosite are only cord blood bank equipped to provide full clean room processing for your child’s cord blood
• Cryosite is the only company to be publically listed on the ASX and is the only cord blood bank that makes its financial position available for routine public scrutiny. We believe that full financial transparency is important when choosing your cord blood company.

Cryosite is underpinned by a diverse, robust and financially transparent business model. When you are considering storing your child’s cord blood for more than 18 years you need to be assured not only that the company has the necessary expertise the maintain the viability of your child’s stem cells for this period of time, but that the company itself will be there when you need them. More information on Cryosite.

Cryosite is the industry leader with an exceptional reputation. Our highly qualified and experienced team of scientists, technicians and support staff are dedicated to ensuring that your cord blood banking experience is easy and hassle free, from your initial enquiry right through to the safe storage of your baby’s cord blood. More information on our people.

There is a significant difference between cord blood companies in Australia. Cryosite provides the Expertise, Experience and Financial Security you require to entrust your child precious cord blood stem cells for the next 18 years. More about why you should choose Cryosite to bank your child’s cord blood.

11. Is it true that doctors would not treat a child with his or her own cord blood because it would contain the disease?
No - thousands of autologous stem cell transplants are carried out every year in both adults and children, for diseases such as leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma and many solid tumors. For some of the common forms of leukemia there is a preference today for using a sibling donor or other tissue matched donor. However, if no match is available, autologous cord blood stem cells have been used and offer many advantages as a transplant source, including no risk of graft vs. host disease (GVHD-a leading cause of death for transplant patients) and immediate availability.

12. Current research into cord blood stem cells
*Customers should be aware that by law in Australia your child’s cord blood is only available for autologous use for haematopoietic reconstitution.

Umbilical cord blood is the subject of a significant amount of scientific research in Australia and internationally. Here is what stem cell scientists are currently reporting in peer reviewed journals (references are listed below):

• Dr Harris and Dr Rodger report that “The identification and isolation of the populations of pluripotent stem cells within cord blood represents a scientific breakthrough that could potentially impact every field of medicine, via their use in regenerative medicine. Thus, CB stem cells are amenable to treatment of a wide variety of diseases including cardiovascular, hepatic, ophthalmic, orthopaedic, neurological and endocrine diseases.” 4
• Dr Hutson and colleagues “support previous reports that cells capable of differentiating into bone-forming osteoblasts exist in full-term umbilical cord blood”. 5
• Dr Shmidt and colleagues reported “the successful in vitro engineering and maturation of biologically active heart valve leaflets using umbilical cords as the only prenatal cell source.” 6
• Dr Korbling and colleagues report that “preliminary data suggest umbilical cord blood derived tissue specific cells generated in the liver, pancreas, CNS and endothelium.” 7
• Dr Denner and colleagues “showed that several primitive lineages of cord blood-derived stem cells could be engineered to produce insulin.” 8
• Dr Li and colleagues’ “observations suggest potential [of cord blood stem cells] as an alternative to hepatocyte transplantation for cellular therapy of liver failure.” 9
• Dr Yu and colleagues said “A growing number of studies highlight the potential of systemic delivery of HUCB cells as a novel therapeutic approach for stroke“. 10
• Dr Cho and colleagues “suggest that umbilical cord blood neurally induced progenitor cells might be a therapeutic resource to repair damaged spinal cords.” 11
• Dr Koike and colleagues have reported that “that Cord blood cells can differentiate into Retinal Nerve Cells”. 12

References:

13. What does “autologous” mean?
A transfusion or transplant of tissues or cells which originate from the patient’s own body. Autologous cord blood is cord blood that is collected, cryopreserved and stored from your child for their own use in the future.

14. When is the cord blood collected? Is the collection procedure risky or painful?
Cord blood is collected from the umbilical cord immediately after the birth of the baby; either prior to the delivery of the placenta or while the placenta is still attached to the uterus. Collection takes place at the time of delivery and only takes a few minutes. There is absolutely no pain or risk to the mother or child during the collection process since the blood is collected from the cord once it is cut.

15. How is the cord blood collected?
Immediately after the birth of the baby, the umbilical cord is cut and the baby separated from the placenta and mother. The placenta is delivered a few minutes later. The portion of the umbilical cord still attached to the placenta is clamped and cleaned. A sterile needle is inserted into the umbilical vein and the placental blood is drawn into a sterile blood collection bag containing anticoagulant, which prevents the blood from clotting. The collection process is non-invasive and completely painless and does not present any risks to either mother or baby. Blood can also be drawn from the cord while the placenta is still attached to the uterus using the same procedure.

16. I am having a caesarian; can I still have my cord blood collected?
Our collection pack is theatre sterile and can therefore be brought to theatre at the time of your delivery. The method of delivery (ie vaginal vs caesarian) has no impact on the collection process. Once your baby has been delivered and the umbilical cord the baby is removed from the field of delivery, the cord blood collection can then take place as previously described.

17. What happens with a forceps or vacuum assisted birth?
The method of vaginal delivery (ie forceps or vacuum assisted) has no impact on the collection process. Once your baby has been delivered and the baby is safely taken from the delivery area, the cord blood can them be collected.

18. What happens after the cord blood is collected?
After the collection is completed, the cord blood is packaged and is ready for shipping to Cryosite. A sample of the mother’s blood (maternal sample) is also collected for mandatory infectious disease testing. The parents then call Cryosite’s specialist medical courier on a dedicated 1800 number. The medical courier will attend your hospital or birthing centre and we will co ordinate the transport of your child’s cord blood to Cryosite for processing from anywhere in Australia.

When the cord blood arrives at Cryosite it is processed to reduce the volume of red blood cells and plasma. This concentrates the stem cell component of the cord blood. When processing is complete, the sample is cryopreserved down to cryogenic temperatures (below-150°C) and is then ready for long-term storage.
More information on what happens after the cord blood has been collected.

19. How much blood needs to be collected?
It is important to ensure that as much cord blood as possible is collected at the time of birth. One of the critical factors in determining the success of a transplant is the number of stem cells transplanted and this correlates to the volume of cord blood collected.

Typically 60ml to 150ml cord blood can be collected with a minimum volume of approximately 40ml required before processing can begin. This is to ensure a sufficient number of stem cells will be available in the final frozen product.
Researchers are looking at ways to expand the number of stem cells that have been collected and already there have been some significant successes and several stem cell expansion protocols are in human clinical trials. The ability to expand the number of stem cells present in a cord blood sample is now a real possibility and gives hope that one day cord blood stem cells will be expanded and used for a variety of different therapies.

If a low volume of blood is collected, we will process the blood for storage only if you have given authority in the Cord Blood Storage Agreement for us to proceed with low volume storage. Otherwise we will not go ahead with the storage, and refunds will be made as set out in the schedule of fees.

20. How is the cord blood stored?
Following the slow controlled rate freezing of the blood, the cells are transferred to vapour-phase liquid nitrogen tanks for long-term storage.

21. What happens when Cryosite receives the cord blood?
When the blood sample arrives in our laboratory it is carefully measured and tested for sterility, viability and cell count. The stem cells are separated and protected with a cryopreservative solution, which allow the cells to withstand very low temperatures and remain viable. Upon completion of the cryopreservation process, the cells are stored in vapour phase liquid nitrogen. To assure that your child's cord blood will be safe for future use, a range of infectious and product quality tests are performed. As the mandatory testing requirement change over time, please contact Cryosite of you would like more information of what specific tests are performed.

22. How long can cord blood be stored for?
Our storage agreement with you, the parents, as legal guardians, will continue for a maximum period of 18 years. We will continue to store the cord blood thereafter, but will require your child to enter into a new storage agreement with us.

23. Can I donate my child's cord blood?
Yes. The Australian Federal and State governments have jointly funded the establishment of a public cord blood banking system. These banks collect and store cord blood in a few public hospitals Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane during normal business hours only. Patients who deliver at participating hospitals may donate their baby's cord blood to the public bank for use by any individual who needs a stem cell transplant. However, once donated, your cord blood would be available if it were ever needed within your family.

24. What is the difference between Public and Private cord blood banking?
Private cord blood storage allows expectant parents to store their baby’s cord blood stem cells for the child’s own potential future use. Such storage ensures that the stem cells are immediately available if they are needed for treatment, therefore eliminating the often time consuming search for a compatible donor. This is especially valuable if there is a pre-existing family history of certain health conditions (including Leukemia, and other malignant blood disorders). Ultimately, early treatment of many diseases can significantly decrease the progression of the disease and having compatible stem cells readily available for treatment is invaluable when someone is already immunodeficient and at high risk of a fatal infection.

Public and private banking serve different purposes. They do not compete.
• The public cord banking system provides an important government funded "safety net". It is a Public Health program that rightly competes for public funding on a cost benefit basis, and as such only supports current and cost effective uses of cord blood.
• Cryosite provides parents with the option to extend the potential uses of cord blood by offering a private banking service. As this is not a public health program, for the time being, it is funded privately.
• Very few parents are able, or need to, donate publically to maintain the government’s public health safety net.
• Less than 1% of mothers are acceptable, or are able, to have their children’s blood collected for the public banking system (eg only at a few hospitals, only in business hours)
• Public cord banking is not like public whole blood banking. Whole Blood is stored fresh, has a short expiry (42 days for Red Blood Cells, 5 days for platelets) and is has a very high utilisation rate meaning that the banks need to constantly recruit new donors. Cord blood is stored cryopreserved, is viable indefinitely and has a very low utilisation rate.
• For almost all Australian parents their choice is "Do I bank my child’s cord blood with Cryosite for their own use" (ie privately) or "not at all".
• Cord blood stored anonymously at a public bank is accessible to anyone who needs it, but it is not available to the child who donated it.

25. How much does it cost?
View our pricing and payment plans.
We appreciate that having a baby can sometimes be financially challenging but we also believe in the importance of storing your baby’s cord blood and want to ensure that as many Australian’s as possible have access to private cord blood storage. Cryosite strives to keep the prices for cord blood banking as low as possible without compromising the quality of the service, which is our absolute priority.

The cost of storing your baby’s cord blood is split into two components – the “Registration Fee”, and the “Processing and Storage Fee”. The “Registration Fee” covers the cost of the Collection Kit and courier fees (to send the kit to your hospital or home). The “Processing and Storage Fee” includes the full cost of couriering the collection kit to Cryosite, testing the mothers blood sample, processing, testing and cryo-preserving your baby’s cord blood and cryogenic storage for 18 years. The “Processing and Storage Fee” may be paid in installments
Additional Charges

Unlike other cord blood companies, Cryosite’s fees are all inclusive and there are no “hidden additional” charges.
Cryosite does NOT apply the following additional fees or charges:
• For collections that take place out of normal business hours, on weekends, or public holidays.
• For parents who live in regional Australia or in non metropolitan areas
• For collection of the Cord Blood
• For courier fees for transportation of Cord Blood to Cryosite for processing
An additional fee does apply if the collection kit needs to be sent urgently (“same day”)

26. Are there any extra charges if my baby is born on a weekend or a public holiday?
Our costs include specialist shipping from anywhere in Australia, at any time of the day or night, and at any time of the year (including public holidays). There are no surcharges payable regardless of when your baby is born.
View our pricing and payment plans.

27. Are there any extra charges if I live in a remote part of Australia?
Our costs include specialist shipping from anywhere in Australia, at any time of the day or night, and at any time of the year (including public holidays). There are no surcharges payable regardless of where in Australia you live.
View our pricing and payment plans.

28. What is family cord blood banking?</a>
Cryosite is the only Australian Cord Blood Bank licensed to allow the immediate release of your child’s stem cells to treat any compatible family member. That means that your baby's cord blood could be used for compatible siblings and family members, making the service even more valuable for your family's future health. Only Cryosite can provide this service, giving you and your family real peace of mind.