Stem cell storage


If stem cells could save your child’s life, shouldn’t you know more?                        

Cord blood and tissue stem cells hold the promise to protect your child’s future health and life. Salveo Swiss Biotechnology puts this life-saving technology within reach of all expecting parents through cost effective, world-class stem cell storage, governed to international standards.

Why more parents are storing cord blood

After a baby is born, cord blood is left in the umbilical cord and placenta. It is relatively easy to collect, and the painless procedure holds no risk for the mother or the newborn baby.

The cord blood contains blood stem cells, which are special because they can make every type of cell in the blood – red cells, white cells and platelets. Blood stem cells are responsible for maintaining blood production and your immune system throughout our lives and can be used to treat more than 75 diseases, including blood cancers like leukaemia, and blood disorders like bone marrow failures, inherited metabolic diseases, immune deficiencies and recently, some auto-immune diseases. For blood stem cell therapy, genetic matching is required.

Cord blood has advantages as a stem cell source. It is readily available, fewer viral infections are transmitted with it, and importantly, it doesn’t require the extremely close genetic matching of bone marrow transplants. This makes it especially promising for the patients diagnosed each year who can’t find a matching donor—many of whom are of ethnic ancestry.

Storing your baby’s cord blood stem cells will give you the peace of mind that he or she has immediate access to the stem cells.  Also, if a brother or sister needs a donor, they have a 25% chance of it being a perfect match and a 50% chance that it will be a partial match.

Mom and Dad will always be, at least, a half match     

Umbilical cord tissue contains another type of adult stem cells, mesenchymal stem cells. Researchers are currently assessing mesenchymal stem cell therapy with the objective to manage or even cure diseases and injuries such as Parkinson’s disease, type 1 diabetes, heart disease, spinal cord injury, Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy, Alzheimer’s disease, strokes, burns, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, vision and hearing loss.

International stem cell research continues making significant ground-breaking advancements into potential new treatments for life-threatening and debilitating diseases.

In Africa, private stem cell banking is your only option

Africa remains the only continent that does not have a public cord blood bank. This means that there is a global shortage of genetically compatible samples representative of South African demographics.

The Swiss solution

Salveo Biotechnology South Africa is jointly owned by JSE-listed Ecsponent Limited and international biotechnology group, Esperite. Headquartered in Switzerland and with a footprint in over 40 countries across three continents, Esperite is a leader in the field of cryopreservation of stem cells and regenerative medicine.

Due to its association with Esperite, Salveo is governed by the protocols and procedures of Europe’s largest stem cell bank and the renowned Swiss quality is ingrained in every aspect of the business to ensure consistent quality.

For South African parents, this means access to a world-class service that is both affordable and sustainable.