UK Cord Blood Bank Ltd announces the establishment of a new state-of-the-art laboratory in The University of Manchester Incubator Company’s Core Technology Facility

Monday 19th June, 2006

14th June 2006

UK Cord Blood Bank Ltd announces the establishment of a new state-of-the-art laboratory in The University of Manchester Incubator Company’s Core Technology Facility

UK Cord Blood Bank Ltd (UKCBB) has today announced the establishment of a state-of-the-art processing and storage laboratory in The University of Manchester Incubator Company’s (UMIC) new Core Technology Facility (CTF). The laboratory will be overseen by UKCBB’s Chief Scientific Officer Dr Peter Hollands and will receive cord blood samples from throughout the UK, the EU and Middle East from early 2007.

The new laboratory is the second such facility to be established by founding company, the New England Cryogenic Center, representing the company’s global commitment to supporting parents who have chosen to collect their baby’s stem cells for possible future use.

Located close to Manchester’s city centre, the CTF is a recently completed £25m biotechnology facility funded by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). UKCBB is one of the organisations specially selected to operate as part of the Facility.

UKCBB’s director John Rizza commented, “Since UKCBB opened its doors in 2000, we have provided parents around the world with unmatched professionalism, experience and clinical excellence. Our new laboratory in the Core Technology Facility is world-class and we are looking forward to forging our relationship with the University. Not only will we be in a unique position to utilise the extraordinary resources and talent available but we will be able to contribute to the work undertaken by one of the world’s leading academic research institutions.”

Commenting on UKCBB’s new laboratory, UMIC’s General Manager, Dr Martino Picardo said, “We are delighted to welcome this global company to our Core Technology Facility, particularly at a time when there is considerable University-related activity in the fields of regenerative medicine and stem cell research. The University aims to be a leader in these areas, having also recently welcomed the NW Embryonic Stem Cell Centre and the UK Centre for Tissue Regeneration to the CTF. UKCBB is one of the most experienced and reputable cord blood banks and we look forward to working with them.”

– Ends –

For further information contact:

Victoria Strachan

General Manager, UK Cord Blood Bank Ltd

Phone 020 7291 4569

Email [email protected]

Information about UK Cord Blood Bank Ltd:

UKCBB is part of the world renowned New England Cryogenic Center which was founded in Boston USA in 1982. The company expanded its cryogenic storage services to include cord blood stem cells in 1995 by establishing the New England Cord Blood Bank, Inc. UKCBB was the first private cord blood bank in the UK and has provided cord blood processing and storage services to thousands of clients throughout Europe since 2000. UKCBB’s current laboratory and cryogenic facility in Boston USA is accredited by the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB), registered with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and licensed by the states of Massachusetts and New York, signifying adherence to the highest international standards of quality and excellence. Please visit www.cordbloodbank.co.uk and www.necryogenic.com for further information.

Information about cord blood stem cells and banking:

Umbilical cord blood contains stem cells that have been used in 6000 transplants worldwide to treat over 80 illnesses, including leukaemia and related blood disorders. Cord blood stem cells can also be used to repair the bone marrow following high dose chemotherapy for cancer, and ongoing research indicates that these cells have the potential for use in treating stroke, diabetes, heart disease, muscular and cartilage diseases, autoimmune and neurological disorders.

Cord blood is collected from the umbilical cord just after birth and processed to extract the stem cells which are then stored in liquid nitrogen. Cord blood stem cells do not carry any of the legal, moral, ethical or religious objections associated with the use of embryonic stem cells and their collection is risk and pain free for both mother and child. When used in transplants, cord blood stem cells carry a reduced risk of transmitting infection and partial HLA matches are acceptable. These attributes combined with the immediate availability of the cryopreserved units, makes cord blood stem cells a viable alternative to bone marrow and peripheral stem cells.

Back to News