Celltree, the cord blood bank brand operated by Medipost, announced on the 4th that it has become the first in Korea to offer storage services for stem cells derived from umbilical cord tissue, a biological resource harvested from the umbilical cord that contains abundant stem cells.
Umbilical cord tissue is a biological resource that can be collected from the umbilical cord connecting the fetus to the placenta. Many overseas cord blood banks store cord tissue alongside cord blood to prepare for treating various diseases in the future.
The top five cord blood banks in the United States, where the cord blood banking industry is most active, offer both cord blood and cord tissue storage services. The company noted that at one of these banks, six out of ten cord blood storage customers store both cord blood and cord tissue simultaneously.
The company said expectations are growing in Korea for expanded stem cell-based treatments following recent amendments to the Advanced Regenerative Medicine and Advanced Biopharmaceuticals Safety and Support Act. It expressed hope that storing both cord blood and cord tissue would enable securing more stem cells, thereby expanding future clinical applications and increasing treatment opportunities.
Celltree recently became the first in Korea to surpass 330,000 cumulative family cord blood storage customers and is promoting the importance of cord blood through its campaign titled "The Power to Heal Yourself: Cord Blood."
A Medipost official said, "With the amendment to the Advanced Regenerative Medicine Act, activation of autologous stem cell therapy is expected." The official added, "Through the introduction of our umbilical cord tissue-derived stem cell storage service, we will do our best to help expectant parents in Korea prepare for treating a wider range of diseases in the future."