Stem Cell Bank to Open in Qatar in July 2010

A stem cell processing and storage bank will start operations in Qatar in July 2010, putting the Gulf state at the forefront of regenerative medicine, company chiefs have announced.

The Virgin Health Bank (VHB), which will collect, process and store cord blood taken from the umbilical cord of newborns, is a partnership between Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) and the UK-based VHB.

“We aim to transform lives through the use of cord blood stem cells in the region. This will be by providing information and championing new standards of high quality ethical banking services,” said Andrew Glen, commercial director, VHB-QSTP in comments published by The Peninsula on Tuesday.

Stem cells, taken from the blood in the umbilical cord, can renew themselves through cell division and differentiating into specialized cell types.

More than 80 diseases can be treated using cord blood and the Qatar facility will help spur cell therapy for various disorders including genetic ones.

“The bank will open as a private one, where families can pay to store the cord blood. This is the major step before venturing into public banking which can ensure that the blood stored can be utilized for community needs. Talks are in progress for public banking,” he told the paper.

The VHB project has already commenced in Qatar as a pilot program with over a dozen cord blood samples being cryogenically stored in the UK.

Last month it was reported that UK stem cell storage company Cells4Life had launched services in the UAE.

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