Talk to us today about donating your umbilical cord
Talk to us today about donating your umbilical cord
What is the BioGrad foundation?
The BioGrad foundation is a charity that specialises in regenerative research. When a baby is born it presents a once-in-a-lifetime chance to collect a priceless resource that might one day be utilised to cure a major disease or illness.
How does it work?
After the baby is born and the umbilical cord is cut, the cord blood and tissue is collected and processed to extract stem cells. This is a painless non-invasive process and does not harm the baby or the mother. The stem cells collected from the umbilical cord blood and tissue can be used to progress stem cells therapy in future medicine as it has enormous medicinal and biotechnological potential.
What is a Stem Cell?
A stem cell is an undifferentiated cell that can divide to create cells that will continue to function as stem cells or develop (become specialised) and make up different tissues and organs.
Why we do it
Personalised medicine
- The effectiveness of stem cells can be compromised by factors such as age and the health of the donor at the time of collection.
- BioGrad Stem cell banking provides a way to cryogenically preserve them at their most potent state and tailored to their genetic composition ensuring your baby will always receive stem cells treatment without the risk of donor rejection.
Regenerative medicine
- As a result of stem cell therapies, autoimmune disorders and/or disorders associated with tissue damage can be treated with reduction in symptoms or complete recovery depending on the condition
Ongoing research
- Our world is changing faster than ever before, Research is beneficial to people and patients, with breakthroughs enabling earlier diagnosis, more effective treatments, prevention of ill health, better outcomes and faster returns to everyday life(1)
Current research for use of cord stem cells in Diseases including and not limited to:
Multiple Sclerosis
Stroke
Diabetes
Parkinson’s Disease
Artificial valves and capillaries
Gene therapy for delivery of anti-tumour agents for cancer treatments
Treatment of chronic autoimmune and inflammatory conditions, such as Rheumatoid Arthritis and Crohn’s Disease
Parkinson's disease and stem cell therapy
Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative condition that impairs mobility and can result in tremors, stiffness, and issues with balance and coordination. With Parkinson’s disease, dopamine-producing cells in the brain are lost or damaged. The symptoms are not limited to movement alone Parkinson’s can cause non-movement related symptoms as well such as sleep disturbance, memory loss, anxiety and depression. According to the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) there are 137,000 people living with Parkinson’s disease with a prevalence rate of 286.5 per 100,000 person years. The prevalence increases with age, and it almost double every 5 years interval between 50–69 years for both men and women. stem cell therapy can be used as a therapeutic approach to replace the lost or damaged brain cells caused by Parkinson’s and thus stop or slow the progression of this disease. It is a novel and effective treatment strategy that attempts to reduce neuroinflammation and control the immune system. The main aim of this therapy is to restore the functions of the dopamine-producing cells and motor functions.
Our process
After registration, a kit will be mailed to your address prior to your due date. The kit will contain everything required for a sample collection
After birth, a phlebotomist (provided by us) will collect the sample and place it in the kit provided
The kit then is collected by a designated courier from the place of birth and delivered to our laboratories in Liverpool
The health and viability of samples are checked by our scientists before cryostorage
Samples then are checked and separated to multiple vials for future use
Samples are cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen in our facilities for at least 25 years
How do I donate?
Donating your umbilical cord is a free and simple prosses, our friendly team will organise everything and will be there to support you in every step. Give us a call today and one of our team can run you through everything you need to know.
Contact Us
Awards & Sponsorships
