Stem Cell Center
Stem Cell Center Germany is a private blood bank which collects and cryopreserves hematopoietic stem cells for future use by the donor.
The Concept
The use of a patient’s own blood stem cells for the treatment of certain severe diseases of the blood and/or immune system, a.k.a. “autologous stem cell transplantation” has been established for several decades.
Over time, we have come to understand that, just like people, stem cells age and acquire genetic defects, so that for treatments with stem cells it might be advantageous to be able to use young stem cells. Stem cells can be collected and frozen in liquid nitrogen where they cease to age and remain usable for, in principle, an unlimited period of time. The availability of such stem cells might thus help the individual, or - under specific circumstances - close relatives to survive certain otherwise deadly diseases.
Currently autologous stem cell transplantation is used for cancers of immune cells, acquired damage to bone marrow (e.g. irradiation) and severe autoimmune diseases. This type of stem cells is also a target for gene therapy for illnesses of the blood, although they have not entered clinical routine.