Family Bank: Rodinná banka perinatálních a mesenchymálních buněk, s.r.o.

About

The Family Bank of Perinatal and Mesenchymal Cells was established by The National Cell and Tissue Center, co-founded by the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic.

The National Cell and Tissue Centre is a joint venture between the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic and the joint-stock company PrimeCell Advanced Therapy Inc. Our new laboratories were opened in 2015 with the goal to be the leading provider of regenerative medicine and cell-based medicinal products in the Czech Republic. We are the leader of cell based research in CEE and also the leading provider of cord blood and cord tissue banking in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Labs and Locations

The Family Bank of Perinatal and Mesenchymal Tissues is located in Ostrava, Czech Republic. Its laboratories are the most advanced cord blood bank in the Czech Republic.

Business Experience

Originally the Family Bank of Perinatal and Mesenchymal Tissues commenced its operations in the second half of 2011 as a part of the National Cell and Tissue Centre in Brno. Its new labs are situated in premises of the University Hospital Ostrava. Granted by the State Institute for Drug Control (national regulatory authority) the Family Bank of Perinatal and Mesenchymal Tissues is a tissue centre and holds the ISO 9001:2009 quality control certificate and the license for international export. 

Our family bank is in a direct co-operation with the National Cell and Tissue Centre and with the PrimeCell research group. This close co-operation between our specialists ensures high quality and safety of the final cell and tissue products. There are more than one hundred partners in its co-operating network.

Collection Kit

The Family Bank has developed its own cord blood and cord tissue collection systems to ensure the highest protection of the collected perinatal tissues. Collection kits are always prepared and set for use in co-operating maternity hospitals. Any handling of the collection kits and collected samples is subjected to quality control according to standard operating procedures. Cord blood collection kit is designed for gravity collection into bags. Cord tissue collection kit contains a sterile container and the necessary tools. Collection kits are double wrapped in aluminium or plastic packaging and inner sterile plastic wrapping, therefore suitable for C-section. The collection kits are sent directly to maternity hospitals and are already in the hospital before the delivery. They are not sent directly to mothers. Instructions on how to use the collection kits are included in the kits.

Transportation container

The transportation container designated for collected cord blood and tissue samples contains thermal insulation, 2 gel packs, and a temperature control chip. The temperature level is ensured and strictly measured throughout the entire transport from the hospital to processing laboratories. Any manipulation of collection kits and collected samples of cord blood and tissue is subjected to quality control according to standard operating procedures and it can be performed only by professionally trained employees.

Shipping Info

Medical courier service is available 24/7, 365 days a year. Shipment is always a part of a contract with parents, thus, there is no extra charge for shipment.

Processing Method

Cord Blood: To ensure the highest possible amount of stem cells, umbilical cord blood is processed with the widely used Sepax device. This method is currently used in approximately 80% of donor and family umbilical cord blood banks in Europe and the USA. Sepax is an automated cell separation system that allows volume reduction by depleting red cells and plasma, assuring the highest possible stem cells recovery. The volume of umbilical cord blood is first reduced by removing a portion of plasma and red blood cells. The blood never comes into contact with the external environment, thus eliminating any possible contamination from environmental sources.

Cord Tissue: Experts from the Family Bank have developed their umbilical cord tissue processing system. This unique method ensures that (cells from?) the tissue can be used for cell proliferation and possible treatment. The bank is in close contact with the PrimeCell research group and it is ensured that the stored tissue can be further processed without the need of transportation to another laboratory. Sterile processing conditions and the cord tissue quality control are a matter of course.

Components Stored

The Family Bank in-house quality control lab conducts detailed microbiological and qualitative testing of the cord blood sample, including stem cell counts, viability and flow cytometry testing.  In addition, the parents are also told their child's blood type, which is determined within the cord blood examination.

Storage Method

At a room temperature of roughly 4 °C, the blood is mixed together with a cryoprotective solution at a specified ratio and transferred into a cryo-bag comprising of special material that is highly resistant to freezing temperatures. The cryo-bag is then placed in an overwrap bag and in a metal cartridge and gradually frozen to -180 °C using liquid nitrogen vapour. The freezing process is automatically controlled by a computer to ensure flawless procedure. Experts of The Family Bank are aware of the uniqueness of every umbilical cord blood unit that is being processed. For this reason, the multi-level quality control is carried out during and after the whole process. The control ensures that umbilical cord blood can be successfully used in the future.

Upon all the required quality controls, the blood bag held by a protective metal cartridge is then moved into the storage container with liquid nitrogen at a temperature bellow -150 °C. Simultaneously with the freezing bag several separate umbilical cord blood samples are placed along the tubing connected to the cryo-bag (called segments) that serve as a means to examine the umbilical cord blood, for example to verify the viability of the sample and the ability of cell division after thawing, HLA typing as well as other tests that may be necessary before using the umbilical cord blood in a treatment.

Licensing & Accreditation

Family Bank of Perinatal and Mesenchymal Tissues is a tissue centre and holds the ISO 9001:2009 quality control certificate and the license for international export. 

Clinical Experience

The experts from our Family Bank closely cooperate with PrimeCell on developing medicinal products from umbilical cord tissue. One of the examples is Remescor. Remescor® is a commercial name of an Advanced therapy medicinal product (ATMP) developed for human use that is based on mesenchymal stromal cells isolated from the umbilical cord (UC MSC). For more information visit: https://remescor.com/

Research by our group using UC-MSC to treat neurologic disorders have been published in an international peer-reviewed journal (https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-019-02925-y).

COVID-19 may also benefit from treatment with UC-MSC, via modulation of immunological dysregulation and inflammation.

Prices

Cord Blood

• CZK 19 890 (VAT included) - Initial cost to cover collection kit, collection services, transport and umbilical cord blood processing
• CZK 1 590 per year (VAT included) - Storage fee
• CZK 48 510 / € 1940 (VAT included) - Total 18-year-price for processing and storing.

Cord Tissue

• CZK 9 890 (VAT included) - Initial cost to cover collection kit, collection services, transport and umbilical cord tissue processing
• CZK 1 590 per year (VAT included) - Storage fee
• CZK 38 510 / € 1 540 (VAT included) - Total 18-year-price for processing and storing. The Family Bank offers individual financial solutions for each client.