Bangalore tops in stem cell banking awareness

Bangalore: Software professional Kiran Reddy (29) did not want his newborn to go through what his senior colleague’s four-year-old, deaf son was enduring. “If only my boss had gone for stem-cell banking, he could have had treated his son for hearing defect,” he said.

Kiran and his wife took a joint decision to go for stem-cell banking and ensure a healthy future for their child. “A few of my friends have already got it done,” Kiran said. Many expectant parents in the city are now actively considering stem cell banking for their children, making Beng­aluru a key market in the country.

According to the data provided by Life Cell, India’s first and largest stem cell bank, over 10,000 parents in Bengaluru have preserved their children’s stem cells and the number is rising. The city has outnumbered other major metros in stem-cell ban­king.

Dr Narendra Rangappa, consultant orthopedic at Manipal Hospital, said, “Bengaluru does have the highest number in stem cell banking than other metros because of greater awareness. Being an IT hub and because of their closeness to technology, the city has a more informed population.

It is a thing of the future and parents should seriously consider this to ensure a healthy tomorrow for their children.” “Stem cell banking has become an essential investment that  parents want to make for their to-be born children. Over 85,000 parents have preserved their children’s stem cells with us,” said Mayur Abhaya, MD & CEO, LifeCell.

According to Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), India has a great potential for Umbi­lical cord blood (UCB) banking, due to high birth rate and genetic diversity. The UCB is a rich source of stem cells that have the potential to treat over 80 critical diseases including thalassemia (rare blood disorder), leukemia (blood cancer), myeloma (a type of bone marrow cancer), lymphoma (type of blood cancer) and many other ailments.

Stem cells are regenerative cells that can be transplanted to repl­ace damaged cells in the body. The umbilical cord is the lifeline for the child before birth and it can prove useful even later. The umbilical cord is usually discarded after birth as biological waste, but it contains rich source of life saving stem cells.

These cells can be collected at the time of birth and preserved for many years.
With growing awareness, many expecting parents in the city are opting for it. “It was an instant decision taken by my wife, who decided she wanted to go for stem-cell banking when she was pushed into labour before the birth of second child,” said Krishna Kumar who works in a city-based MNC.