C'elle and stem cells

Oldsmar, Fla.– Cryo-Cell International, Inc. one of the largest and most established family cord blood banks in the nation, announced in July the discovery of its breakthrough stem cell technology with the launch of the C’elle Virtual Broadcast Center. C’elle is the world’s first service for women to store their own menstrual stem cells for future use.

The virtual broadcast, produced by OR Live, will showcase Cryo-Cell’s latest scientific findings on how a woman’s menstrual flow— which results from the shedding of the uterine lining (endometrium) during menstruation, contains millions of stem cells that have many properties and characteristics similar to those of both bone marrow and embryonic stem cells. The broadcast will include details about the study, the cell characteristics, information about several preclinical studies currently under way, and an overview of the C’elle service.

Through several independent laboratory research studies, these menstrual stem cells have demonstrated the capability in vitro to differentiate into neural, cardiac, bone, cartilage, and adipose cells and possibly other cell types. Although research is preliminary, given their properties, Cryo-Cell believes that these menstrual cells demonstrate compelling promise to transform regenerative medicine in coming years.

“Stem cells isolated from menstrual blood are multi-potent, highly prolific and readily accessible,” said Julie Allickson, PhD, MS, MT (ASCP) Vice President of Laboratory Operations and Research & Development. “These novel stem cells demonstrate characteristics of both bone marrow mysenchemal stem cells and embryonic stem cell markers that may potentially demonstrate significant promise for future use in clinical regenerative medical therapies.”

On November 1, 2007, Cryo-Cell announced the introduction of C’elle, a service which enables women to collect stem cells found in menstrual fluid, which can be cryogenically preserved in a manner similar to stem cells from umbilical cord blood.
(I found an ad for it on facebook subsequently some press on it.) And like stem cells found in cord blood, these vital cells may one day serve as a potential source for promising regenerative therapies to treat heart disease, diabetes, and neurological disorders like spinal cord injury, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, in addition to cosmeceutical applications such as anti-aging therapies.

Preliminary research related to the immunological profile of these unique menstrual stem cells suggests the that in addition to the donor, these stem cells may also potentially be used to benefit other family members who are genetically related to the donor, such as perhaps a parent, sibling or child.

About Cryo-Cell International, Inc.

Based in Oldsmar, Florida, with over 150,000 clients worldwide, Cryo-Cell is one of the largest and most established family cord blood banks. ISO 9001:2000 certified and accredited by the AABB, Cryo-Cell operates in a state-of-the-art Good Manufacturing Practice and Good Tissue Practice (cGMP/cGTP)-compliant facility. Cryo-Cell is a publicly traded company. OTC Bulletin Board Symbol: CCEL. For more information, please call 1-800-STOR-CELL (1-800-786-7235) or visit www.cryo-cell.com.