Next Biobank - Nigeria

About

Next Biobank is Africa's largest stem cell laboratory and cryogenic facility. They are privately owned and debt-free, based in Johannesburg South Africa, and accredited by AABB.

Business Experience

Next Biosciences is a leading South African biotech company which combines medicine, science, and technology to invest in innovative health technologies, enabling people to take personal ownership of their future health. Next Biosciences’ group of companies are involved in the manufacturing of biological products, stem cell banking, genetic testing, and other pathology lab testing. Next Biosciences is ISO accredited and lisenced by the Department of Health in South Africa. The company believes in a collaborative business approach to ensure that it accesses the best scientific minds and other key players in the industry to deliver our core purpose.

Next Biosciences processed and stored its first cord blood sample in December 2006 and to date has stored for over 20,000 samples from South Africa, Kenya, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Mauritius.

Collection Kit

The Next Biosciences collection kit contains:

• a sterile blood collection bag;
• a sterile tube containing phosphate buffered saline for collection of umbilical cord tissue;
• a thermal cool gel pack to encase the blood bag;
• a thermal insulated foil bag to store the blood bag and collection tube during transport;
• client identification stickers to place on the blood bag and collection tube once the samples are collected;
• all necessary client documentation including collection protocols, parent checklist etc. and
• maternal blood tubes for required donor screening tests.

Transportation Container

Next Biosciences uses the latest ambient temperature-controlled kits (not polystyrene boxes) to transport the cells to the laboratory. The Next Biosciences collection kit contains a thermal insulated bag which ensures that the cord blood and tissue are maintained at a constant temperature throughout transport. The external box is labelled according to the AABB and IATA standards.

Shipping Info

Next Biosciences uses First Fright Medical to collect the cord blood and cord tissue samples within South Africa and deliver them to the laboratory in Johannesburg. For collection of samples from Kenya and Zimbabwe, Next Biosciences uses DHL. Next Biosciences aims to get the stem cells to its laboratory within 24 hours after the birth of the baby. Should the stored stem cells ever be needed, Next Biosciences has a cryogenic shipper with temperature monitoring that allows the cells to be transported in their cryopreserved state to a transplant centre anywhere in the world.

Processing Method

Next Biosciences processes cord blood using PrepaCyte-CB® method. This technology yields higher recovery of stem cells, efficient reduction of red blood cells, and has the fastest patient recovery rates after transplants¹. The PrepaCyte-CB® reagent sediments red blood cells, allowing the recovery of the buffy coat from the supernatant. The buffy coat contains white blood cells including hematopoietic stem cells.  A cryopreservative agent containing DMSO (Dimethyl Sulfoxide) is then added to the buffy coat which ensures that the cells are not damaged during the freezing process. Flow cytometric analysis is also performed to ensure sufficient numbers and viability of CD45+ and CD34+ (haematopoietic) stem cells have been collected for storage. All units are additionally tested for sterility and ABO blood grouping.

¹CryoCell International. Why the processing method for cord blood matters. Prepacyte-CB. Published 2019-11-27

Components Stored

Cord Blood
The buffy coat fraction of cord blood containing white blood cells and stem cells is collected in a small bag which is stored in a protective aluminium canister alongside two test cryovials.

Cord Tissue
Cord tissue is dissociated into small sections and stored in a cryoprotective agent in eight 1.5ml cryovials.

Storage Method

Cord Blood
The cord blood stem cells are hermetically sealed in a cryogenic bag and encased in an aluminium cassette. This provides the cells with physical protection during storage and transit, but more significantly, the aluminium cassette is also fundamental to the success of the freezing process by providing a consistent heat path. The cells are then slowly and precisely frozen using a controlled rate freezer, which ensures that the cells are not mechanically damaged during the freezing process.

Cord Tissue
The dissected cord tissue sections are placed in cryovials with a cryoprotective agent and frozen using the same method as the cord blood. 

All samples are initially stored in a quarantine tank in the vapour phase of cryogenic nitrogen and moved into final storage following confirmatory maternal blood tests.

Licensing & Accreditation

Next Biosciences is accredited by the international authority AABB as well as ISO:13485 and provides state of the art cord blood and tissue banking.

Clinical Experience

Next Biosciences has released 3 cord blood samples for transplant.

Guarantees

1. The maximum amount of any and all liability which Next Biosciences may incur to the Client under any and all circumstances shall be the total amount paid by the Client to Next Biosciences in terms of their contract.
2. Next Biosciences has an affiliation with Smart Cells International (UK’s longest established stem cell company), and in the unlikely event of anything happening to Next Biosciences, Smart Cells will take over storage of the stem cells.
3. Next Biosciences takes extreme measures to protect its stored stem cells. The laboratory additionally has:

• Sophisticated technology to monitor the facility and equipment 24 hours a day automatically and remotely;
• A fire detection & suppression system;
• 24 hour camera surveillance;
• Fingerprint access control;
• UPS and a generator in case of electricity cuts;
• Excess capacity of medical grade liquid nitrogen and electricity free storage;
• Critical equipment duplication.

Community Service

Families of Hope is a sibling cord blood donor programme which was introduced by Next Biosciences in January 2016, giving potential future hope to disadvantaged families with children suffering from leukaemia, aplastic anaemia, Fanconi anaemia, sickle-cell disease, thalassaemia or other diseases treatable with stem cell transplant.

With a 1-in-4 chance that full biological siblings will be a genetic match, a stem cell transplant could potentially provide a cure. This way, the hope of Next Biosciences is to expand the opportunity to families who are faced with life-threatening diseases treatable with stem cells, but cannot afford to save their baby’s precious stem cells at birth.

How the ‘Netcells Families of Hope’ programme works:

If a disadvantaged child (affected sibling) requires a bone marrow stem cell transplant, and his/her mother is pregnant and expecting a full biological sibling (i.e., same father), Next Biosciences will facilitate the collection of the umbilical cord blood at the time of delivery. They will then transport the umbilical cord blood to their laboratory to be processed, tested and stored. If the stem cells are a suitable HLA-type match, upon request by the affected sibling’s transplant physician, Next Biosciences will transport the stem cells to the place of transplant within South Africa.

Next Biosciences has committed to supporting 1 family for every 100 cord blood units that are privately banked.

Gynaecologists/Midwives who do cord blood collections for Next Biosciences are also given the opportunity to donate their procedural fees to the programme, if they wish, increasing the number of families that could benefit. Next Biosciences will work closely with CHOC (Childhood Cancer Foundation South Africa) to ensure that any unutilised funds from procedural fees donated by obstetricians will be directed to CHOC, as the ‘Netcells Families of Hope’ programme’s goals are closely aligned to theirs: Keeping more than hope alive.

Prices

Next Biosciences offers 10 and 20 year storage options and has affordable interest free payment plans. Visit the easy-to-use pricing calculator to work out the exact cost and customer an option that works best for you: https://customers.nextbio.co.za/calculator/netcells/