Frequently Asked Questions
Cord Blood Questions
- How do I enroll with GeneCell to save my baby's cord blood stem cells?
- What is the difference between dental pulp stem cells and cord blood stem cells?
- What is the umbilical cord?
- What is the Placenta?
- How and when is the cord blood collected?
- Is there any risk to my child or myself during collection?
- How much cord blood should be collected?
- How long will the cord blood remain viable in the kit after collection?
- What happens at the laboratory once GeneCell International receives my child's cord blood unit?
- What are the chances that my family uses the umbilical cord blood stem cells?
- Can stem cells cure a hematologic disease my child eventually develops?
Dental Pulp Questions
- How is dental pulp collected?
- Should I wait for the teeth to fall out?
- Can I store the extracted teeth in the refrigerator until they can be sent to the laboratory?
- Are all extracted teeth viable for stem cell extraction?
Adipose Questions
- How do adipose stem cells work?
- Isn’t the resulting material extracted from liposuction just biological waste?
General Questions
- What temperature are the cells cryopreserved?
- What if I do not live in the U.S.?
- What about my information’s privacy?
Cord Blood Questions
How do I enroll with GeneCell to save my baby's cord blood stem cells?
Enrolling with GeneCell is quick and easy. You can enroll online now clicking here or you can call us at 1-888-994-3632.
What is the difference between dental pulp stem cells and cord blood stem cells?
Cord blood Stem Cells are hematopoietic stem cells and Dental Pulp Stem Cells are mezenchymal stem cells. Though they are different, you may want to consider the range of potential applications that may be possible with stem cells from your child’s teeth – either baby teeth or wisdom teeth.
While cord blood stem cells have proven valuable in the regeneration of blood cell types, dental stem cells and adipose stem cells are able to regenerate solid tissue types that cord blood cannot - such as potentially repairing connective tissues, dental tissues, neuronal tissue and bone.
What is the umbilical cord?
It is the vascular link formed by two arteries and a vein connecting the placenta with the baby. It is normally cut and discarded when the baby is delivered.
What is the Placenta?
It is the organ through which the mother's blood stream and the fetal one interact without mixing to achieve the nutrients and oxygen supply to the fetus from the mother's blood. The waste generated by the fetus is also eliminated in this process.
How and when is the cord blood collected?
This is a pretty easy and painless process, and it does not interfere with the delivery or subsequent care for your newborn. After your baby is born, but before the placenta is delivered, your doctor or nurse cleans a four- to eight- inch area of umbilical cord with antiseptic solution and inserts the blood bag needle into the umbilical cord vein. The blood flows into the bag by gravity until it stops, after which the collection is complete. The blood bag tubing is knotted and clamped, and the blood bag is sealed, and labeled. The collection typically takes approximately five minutes. Four tubes of maternal blood are also drawn for testing.
Is there any risk to my child or myself during collection?
Cord blood collection is safe and painless for you and your baby. The cord blood is collected after the umbilical cord has been clamped and cut. Your healthcare provider does not need to alter the normal birthing process in any way, except to collect your baby's cord blood. Cord blood collection is a simple procedure that usually takes approximately 5 minutes.
How much cord blood should be collected?
Any volume higher than 100ml will guarantee a good source of stem cells. Typically, collecting more cord blood means collecting more stem cells. This is important because having more stem cells for treatment can improve medical outcomes if the cells are needed for transplant. That's why GeneCell International’s superior processing technology improves its ability to save every stem cell possible for your family.
How long will the cord blood remain viable in the kit after collection?
At room temperature, the cord blood will still be viable 72 hours after collection. After that, its viability starts to decrease. For best results, the cord blood will be shipped to our laboratory within 24 hours after collection.
What happens at the laboratory once GeneCell International receives my child's cord blood unit?
Once we receive your baby's cord blood unit, our laboratory will conduct tests to assess the total volume collected and the concentration of stem cells. We will also test for bacterial and fungal contamination. As for the mother's blood samples, they will be tested for infectious diseases as required by licensing agencies. After testing, your baby's cord blood unit is cryopreserved and stored at -196º Celsius (-321ºF).
What are the chances that my family uses the umbilical cord blood stem cells?
Since stem cell research is an ongoing scientific activity, with new knowledge being acquired every day, it is hard to calculate the probabilities for a family member to eventually need his/her stored umbilical cord blood stem cells. However, recent data suggests that the probabilities for a child to eventually need to use his/her umbilical cord blood stem cells before his/her 21st birthday are approximately 1 in 20000. At the same time, the chances for a family member to need these type of cells are 1 in 14,000.
Can stem cells cure a hematologic disease my child eventually develops?
If they come from a close relative like a sibling, they can be used to treat that type of disease. The own donor’s cells can not be used for treating leukemia or other blood related diseases.
Dental Pulp Questions
How is dental pulp collected?
Dental pulp stem cells are collected from teeth or wisdom teeth after they naturally fall off or are extracted through a dental procedure. The best collection is when collected from baby teeth or wisdom teeth.
For the dental pulp to be viable, there must be a blood supply to the tooth when it is removed – that is, the tooth should bleed slightly when removed.
Should I wait for the teeth to fall out?
No. You should make an appointment with your dentist so he/she properly extracts the tooth/teeth and follows the instructions on the Dental Pulp Stem Cell Collection Kit.
Can I store the extracted teeth in the refrigerator until they can be sent to the laboratory?
No. The sample must remain at room temperature and must not be refrigerated. Once received at our laboratory, the processing and cryopreservation process begins.
Are all extracted teeth viable for stem cell extraction?
Not necessarily. After we receive the sample, the tooth needs to first pass our initial examination and has to be deemed acceptable for processing; then the stem cell technician will begin the stem cell extraction procedure.
Adipose Questions
How do adipose stem cells work?
Adipose stem cells (ASC) delivered into damaged tissues can release growth factors to stimulate the healing of the damaged tissue. This will cause new blood vessel growth to the site of injury.
ASC may, through the release of endogenous growth factors, modulate the stem cell niche and recruit other stem cells to the site of injury and promote their differentiation.
In a related manner ASC may provide antioxidants, free-radical scavengers, and chaperones to an ischemic site.
Finally, ASC can also differentiate into a determined cell lineage to repair the damaged tissue.
Isn’t the resulting material extracted from liposuction just biological waste?
In the past, the resulting material from liposuction has been viewed as medical waste and as a consequence it was always discarded. This resulted in the loss of a potential life-saving resource. Now you can save these cells through GeneCell International’ s Adipose Stem Cell Banking Program, and you will have access to them in the future for the long-term benefit of your family’s health.
General Questions
What temperature are the cells cryopreserved?
Once the processing procedure and testing have been completed, a cryoprotectant will be added in order to ensure maximal cellular viability while the cells are under cryogenic conditions (approximately -321°F/ -196°C.)
What if I do not live in the U.S.?
We proudly serve clients in the U.S. but also in many other countries in Latin America. International couriers are available to provide customs clearance and provide delivery to our laboratory within 24-72 hours of collection. International shipping fees will vary. Please see our list of locations overseas here.
What about my information’s privacy?
GeneCell International maintains all given information under strict confidentiality and security at all times.
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