Cordlife Philippines Launches Umbilical Cord Tissue Banking

SINGAPORE, Aug 12 (Bernama) -- Cordlife Medical Philippines, Inc. (Cordlife Philippines), a leading cord blood and tissue banking service provider, announced it has officially launched its newest service, an umbilical cord tissue banking in the Philippines. The offering allows expectant parents to store their newborn's umbilical cord and the stem cells it contains for potential use in future therapeutic applications. Jeremy Yee, Cordlife executive director and chief executive officer, said: "The introduction of umbilical cord tissue banking in Philippines represents the latest milestone for Cordlife, one which reflects our dedication to introducing pioneering products and services to our customers. "We take great pride in offering Filipino parents the additional option of storing their child's cord tissue to help them further safeguard their family's future," he said in a statement. According to Dr. Arvin Faundo, medical director of Cordlife Philippines, the umbilical cord is abundant with two types of stem cell -- epithelial stem cells (EpSCs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which hold immense potential in repairing injured tissues and organs as well as treating various diseases. Both EpSCs and MSCs are abundant in the umbilical cord, whereas cord blood is a proven source of hematopoietic (HSCs) or blood-forming stemm cells used in the treatment of certain cancers, blood disorders and immune-deficiencies. MSCs can also be found in cord blood, though in much smmaller quantities. "Umbilical cord tissue banking allows the child and his or her family to have ready accesss to a lot more medical options in future," said Dr. Faundo. Cordlife Philippines, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cordlife Group Ltd, was first establishhed in 2006 as a marketing office. In February 2010, Cordlife Philippines officially opened the country’s first and only certified cord blood processing and storage facility. The facility located in UP-Ayalaland Technohub in Quezon City has a storage capacity of more than 20,000 cord blood units, and uses liquid nitrogenn for long-term cryopreservation. -- BERNAMA