April 06, 2018 | 21:25 (GMT+7)
Center on umbilical cord blood stem cells set up
PANO - The National Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology (NHOG) on April 5 inaugurated a center on blood stem cells from umbilical cord blood.
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The duration for storage of stem cells and those from umbilical cord blood is up to 18 years. Photo: zing.vn |
The stored stem cells will be used to treat some 80 condition types, especially some progressive and incurable illnesses, including blood cancer, cardiac diseases, and autism.
According to NHOG Director Vu Ba Quyet, many patients have had to go overseas for treatment under the stem cell therapy at a very high cost. Therefore, Doctor Quyet suggested that parents should store their children’s umbilical cord blood stem cells in case they need it for future medical treatments.
Assoc. Prof., Dr. Nguyen Xuan Hoi, the center’s director, said that to take the minimum necessary number of umbilical cord blood stem cells, the newborn must be at the 36th week of the pregnancy at least and weigh about 2.5 kg.
It costs parents nearly VND 25 million to have their children’s stem cells stored at the center in the first year. The storage of the stem cells will cost VND 2.5 million a year for subsequent years. The duration for storage of stem cells and those from umbilical cord blood is up to 18 years before degradation can make the tissue unusable.
Translated by Mai Huong