Bangalore, Jan 29, 2010: Indian diagnostic service provider PathCare Labs launched it's cord blood stem cell banking division, Cord Care, in the South Indian city Hyderabad. This is the company's fifth such facility in the country.

According to the company, this facility is designed to meet global norms for processing and cyro-preservation of samples efficiently, aided by the most advanced technology and computerization. The only stem cell bank with national coverage supported by Regional Laboratories and more than 600 collection centers spread across the country.

The cord blood stem cell bank, set up at PathCare Labs, Hyderabad, has facilities such as fully automated stem cell processing section, testing laboratory, cryo-preservation center, and IT and logistics support center.

The company release noted that the cord blood stem cell bank would be affiliated and certified by a key governing agency such as DBT (Department of Bio-technology), DCGI (Drug Controller General of India), US FDA and AABB(American Association of Blood Banks). The quality and operational procedures of bank would confirm to the guidelines recommended by these agencies.

Cord Care has a facility to store up to 100,000 samples, said Dr GV Prasad, Managing Director and CEO of PathCare Labs. The collection, processing and preservation of cord blood is done at a fee of Rs 75,000 (about $1600) and the samples are stored in cryogenic vaults for a period of 21 years.

"In India the industry put-together has banked about 25,000 cord blood units over the last three years. This number is set to increase substantially with increased market reach and awareness, increase in regulatory approvals for stem cells based products and lowered resistance to private banking will together encourage more clients to choose stem cell banking, Dr GV Prasad said.

He added that with more than 26 million births a year, India is poised to be the largest source for umbilical cord blood in the world. It's no surprise then that leading stem cell banking companies are keenly eying India. The investments are considerable and mostly run into millions of dollars. Due to high birth rates, India presents lucrative opportunity for stem cell banking business.

Cord blood stem cell transplants have better success rates than bone marrow transplants and are preferred because these cells are young. It has also been scientifically found that cord blood stem cells have better tolerance of HLA mismatches. Thus cord blood can make a difference between life and death in difficult transplants.

At the cord blood stem cell bank large scale cryogenic facilities preserve cord blood at around -196ºC. It takes just 5 to 10 minutes to collect cord blood since it is collected after the baby is born and the umbilical cord has been clamped and cut. It is a very simple and painless process for both mother and child.