What is cord tissue banking?

Cord tissue banking is the process of collecting and storing sections of your baby’s umbilical cord after birth; freezing the stem cells within for potential future use in medical treatments for your child.

Cord tissue is known to be a rich source of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). They are known to repair and regenerate damaged tissue cells in bone, cartilage, muscle and fat cells, and are being studied to treat illnesses such as cerebral palsy, arthritis and type 1 diabetes in over 1,000 clinical trials.[1]

These valuable MSCs in umbilical cord tissue can be collected at any point of delayed cord clamping, and the stem cells preserved in case they are ever needed.

Future Health keeps up with the latest stem cell research and is at the forefront of cord tissue stem cell storage. We take stringent measures to ensure that if ever needed, your child receives a fit-for-purpose sample. Immediately after a cord tissue sample is collected, it is transported via our 24/7 courier service to our UK laboratory and processed, before carrying out a viability test.

[1] https://stemcellres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13287-019-1376-9#Abs1

How does it work?

The science behind cord tissue banking is complicated, but storing your baby’s stem cells really couldn’t be simpler. Here’s how it works:

We send you your collection kit well before the birth date, which contains everything you need to collect the sample (make sure you have it with you on the big day!)

After birth, your consultant (or a phlebotomist provided by us) will extract the sample, and place it back into the collection kit

Our dedicated courier then collects the kit from the baby’s place of birth, delivering it to our Laboratory in Nottingham

Once the sample arrives at the lab, we…

Process the sample by sectioning the tissue sample into multiple portions

Your baby’s sample is then cryogenically frozen in the vapour phase of liquid nitrogen, and stored in our facilities for decades to come

The sample is checked and confirmed as healthy and viable for future use

Should you ever need to use your sample, we will release your sample and ship it anywhere in the world, free of charge

What’s in the kit

Our temperature controlled kits contain the best equipment possible.

Although each component has its own unique contribution, when combined the kit has one purpose: to deliver your sample to our lab in quality condition.

500ml shipping tube and saline sachet – saline goes into the shipping tube and cord tissue is put into this for transit.
Preservation tablet – used to stop microbial contaminants from growing.

Why choose Stem Cells Malta & Future Health?

Once you’ve decided that cord blood banking is for you, you then need to decide which biobank you’re going to trust with your baby’s sample.
Here’s why we think you should choose us:

One of the world’s most accredited cell banks

Free release and shipment of your sample worldwide

122 samples released for transplant and therapies in the USA, Europe and the Middle East