Family Bank: Cells4Life

About

Founded in 2002, Cells4Life is one of the leading cord blood banks in the UK. From our systems and processes, to the range of services we offer, and even how and where our cord blood samples are stored, everything about Cells4Life has been designed to provide as many stem cells and stem cell types as possible at the point of therapy.  In 2020, Cells4Life also became the first and only stem cell bank in Britain to offer placenta storage. Parents can choose to store placenta tissue and amnion either alongside cord blood and tissue or as a separate standalone service.

Labs and Locations

Cells4Life has a 2nd generation, purpose-built laboratory based at our state-of-the-art Head Office in Sussex. Along with our customer care team, cord blood collection service and courier service, Cells4Life’s laboratory operates 24/7, 365 days per year.  This ensures samples are processed as quickly as possible after birth, delivering highly viable cord blood samples. 

Cells4Life is also the only UK company that offers the option to store cord blood units across two separate locations within the UK, meaning that in the unlikely event that there is a problem at one of our facilities, clients have the security of knowing that part of their sample remains safely stored elsewhere.

In addition to our UK facilities, Cells4Life has local offices throughout Europe and the Middle East and has provided our services to customers in over 54 countries.

Head Office:
Units 2&3 Oak House, Woodlands Office Park
Albert Drive, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 9TN
United Kingdom

Business Experience

Cells4Life was founded in 2002 and was the first private company to offer a stem cell storage and collection service in the UK. Cells4Life also provides its services all over the world, storing cord blood and tissue samples from customers in 54 countries.

Cells4Life has a strong commitment to research and development. In 2020 Cells4Life became the only stem cell bank in the UK to offer parents the option to store the amniotic membrane and/or the chorionic villi portion of the placenta. Both amnion and placental cells are currently being used in numerous clinical trials to push the boundaries of conventional medicine. Placenta banking enables parents to make the most of their baby’s birth and maximise the therapeutic possibilities of their baby’s sample.

Cells4Life also developed and patented TotiCyte. The service is called CellsPlus and is a unique cord blood processing technology that delivers more stem cells at the point of therapy than existing industry standard systems.

Collection Kit

Cells4Life provides clients with a specialised cord blood collection kit which contains all of the necessary contents for the safe collection of umbilical cord blood, umbilical cord tissue and placental tissue. Included within the tamper evident packaging are pictorial instructions for optimum collection of the cord blood, cord tissue, amnion and placental tissue.

Transportation container

For international shipments we use the Nanocool system in our kits. This technology maintains the samples at 2-8C for up to 72 hours at the press of a button.  There is no requirement for priming with this system.

Shipping Info

Included in the base price, Cells4Life has a dedicated single purpose courier collection service that operates 24/7 365 days a year in the UK - even on the weekends and holidays. This ensures that samples are always processed as soon as possible, enabling us to deliver the most viable cord blood samples possible.

Processing Method

CellsPlus, powered by TotiCyte - Patented & Exclusive to Cells4Life

The single most important consideration when banking cord blood is to make sure samples contain as many stem cells as possible at the point of therapy.  This determines both the size and weight of person a sample can treat and also the number of therapies it could provide. Cells4Life’s CellsPlus service provides more stem cells at the point of therapy than industry standard cord blood processing methods.  This could mean the difference between a sample only being usable for a small child versus containing enough cells for a fully grown adult. It also increases the chance that the cells could be used for multiple therapies, throughout a child’s life.  

In addition to umbilical cord blood, Cells4Life also offers the option to store tissues from the umbilical cord and placenta.  

1. Cord Tissue Storage

Cord tissue is a rich source of Mesenchymal Stem Cells. Research shows that these cells, together with the umbilical cord blood stem cells, are crucial for tissue repair or replacement. Cells4Life can store portions of the umbilical cord itself. This complements cord blood storage because it stores more and different types of cells, including: mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC), unrestricted somatic stem cells (USSC), vascular endothelial stem cells, and perivascular stem cells.

2. Amnion Storage

The amniotic membrane of the placenta has powerful healing properties.  It is already used to treat burns and wounds and is subject to a growing list of clinical trials. Cells4Life is the only bank in the UK that gives parents-to-be the option to selectively bank this tissue from the placenta.

3. Placental Cells Storage

In addition to the amnion, Cells4Life also gives parents the option to bank the chorionic villi cells from the placenta. By storing these cells, you allow your child to access even more regenerative therapy opportunities for the future.

Components Stored

Cord Blood and Cord Tissue: Parents are provided with a certificate describing test results (volume of blood stored, cell count, viability, cord blood and cord tissue sterility and maternal disease marker testing).

Placental Cells and Amnion: Cells4Life is the only stem cell bank in the UK that offers parents the option to store the amniotic membrane and/or chorionic villi. The amniotic membrane is stored as a sheet. The processing of the chorionic villi tissue is proprietary.

Storage Method

Cells4Life gives the option to store cord blood, cord tissue and amnion in multiple separate storage containers to enable them to be used in more than one treatment in the future. Following initial processing, the sample undergoes a controlled rate freeze for 24 hours to -80 degrees Celsius and is then stored in vapour stage cryogenic nitrogen tanks at -180 degrees Celsius.  All of our tanks are monitored in real time with a 24 hours alarm system, to ensure that they are always maintained in optimum conditions.

Licensing & Accreditation

Cells4Life is licensed by the Human Tissue Authority (HTA) license number 11083. Cells4Life is the only UK cord blood bank to have a laboratory that is certified under ISO13485. In 2019 Cells4Life became accredited under the international AABB standard, accreditation number 1722851.

Clinical Experience

Cells4Life offers private umbilical cord blood, cord tissue and placental tissue storage.

• 17 sample releases (at the end of 2022)
• First cord blood bank in the UK to have provided cord tissue for treatment.
• First cord blood bank to have provided three separate samples from the same cord blood unit for three separate treatments.
• First cord blood bank in the UK to provide placenta banking services.

Insurance

Within the UK, Cells4Life offers stem cell treatment insurance. Their +PROTECT policy provides a lump sum payment of between £75,000 to £150,000 in the event an approved stem cell therapy is required.

Community Service

• Cells4Life operates a cord blood donation program called Cells4Life Foundation. It operates at a number of hospitals in the south east. To find out how to donate click here.
• Cells4Life works with Just4Children, a UK-based charity, to help families seeking stem cell therapies raise the required funds for treatment

Prices

Please visit our website for the most up to date prices and services for each market.

In the UK, the Cells4Life packages available are:

• Silver (cord blood only) £1600 + £70 per year
• Gold (cord blood & cord tissue) £2250 + £110 per year
• Platinum (cord blood & cord tissue, multiple samples and locations) £3550 + £110 per year
• ULTIMATE (cord blood & cord tissue, amnion & placenta cells, multiple samples and locations & BabyInsight) £6335 + £220 per year

Additional Services

BabyInsight: Cells4Life now also offers post-birth genetic screening. Called BabyInsight, this newborn screening will test your baby’s predisposition to 5 different genetic conditions or intolerances. These conditions are:

1. AAT Deficiency (Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency)
2. Gluten Sensitivity
3. Lactose Intolerance
4. Drug-Induced Deafness
5. Hereditary Fructose Intolerence

You can order the kit as part of the cord blood collection process or as a standalone service. You simply collect a saliva sample from your baby, send it to us and we can test for the above sensitivities. It is a safe and easy way to learn about your baby and put measures in place early on in their life to safeguard their health.