American Cell Technology offers personal cell banking with the current goals being to optimize the expansion and cryopreservation process. ACT works with the leaders and pioneers of cell culture and promises integrity in the handling of your personal cells. While ACT may be in charge of your precious resources, ultimately you and your doctor will decide when you want your cells and how to use them.
A stem cell is essentially a cell with a blank slate of your DNA. It can replicate and differentiate into other cell types. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that are derived from adipose, bone marrow, and umbilical cord blood/tissue can be signaled by injured cells and home in on sites of inflammation throughout the body. MSCs are immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory.
Stem cell banking is the process where your stem cells are culture expanded into large numbers of stem cells with your own DNA. These cells are cryopreserved and stored for you to use in the future.
While you may not have a condition that requires immediate treatment with stem cells, it’s smart to plan for the future. As you age, illness and the natural processes of aging can reduce the number of stem cells available. While older cells can still be viable and useful, generally, the younger you are when you bank, the more efficient, active and mobile your cells are.
On a daily basis, our body naturally loses cells due to the wear and tear of our daily activities, injuries, and exposure to disease. When we’re young, we naturally have more stem cells in our bodies, which is probably why the injuries we had as kids healed so quickly. As our intrinsic stem cell population decreases, the healing process naturally takes longer. With age, the protective end caps (telomeres) on the DNA of our cells shorten as the cells age and eventually die, thus leading to age related diseases like osteoarthritis, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
Eventually, all newborns will have an opportunity to bank their young healthy stem cells at birth. In the meantime, over 300 million Americans will now have the opportunity to bank their own personal stem cells for possible use in the future. However, we can still get high quality, viable and healthy mesenchymal stem cells from our adipose (fat) tissue and even our bone marrow.
Anyone from newborn to older adults are eligible to bank their cells. Even patients with known chronic viral conditions may bank their cells. However, ACT requires a variety of tests for communicable diseases. This is largely important in the case where cures for these diseases may arise. In the case where a drug cure came along, ACT would not want to return your infected cell product and thus “re-infect” you. However, if you carried a known chronic viral condition that you lived with under control, your cells could not harm you and you would be entitled to use them as you and your doctor deemed necessary.
Just like the rest of your body, your cells grow older each day, which is most easily seen by evaluating the length of their telomeres (protective end-caps on your DNA). The sooner you can get your cells into the bank and saved, the younger your cells will be for when you might need them back in the future.
The majority of us didn’t have the opportunity to bank our umbilical cord blood/tissue and thus were unable to preserve our youngest stem cells. The next best option is to store your adult stem cells, easily derived from your adipose or bone marrow tissue. Save your cells when they are their youngest so that you have them ready for your future needs.
Historically, medicine has looked to alleviate pain primarily by masking the symptoms or putting the body in a position to naturally heal itself (ie. casting a broken arm and allowing the body to repair the injury). Today, scientists and physicians are showing there might be an alternative to this practice, which they’re calling regenerative medicine.
Regenerative Medicine relies on the concept of primarily healing an injury with cells as opposed to masking the symptoms or letting the body naturally heal itself. It’s an exciting advancement in medicine that sees progress made on a daily basis.
American Cell Technology is FDA registered. ACT currently makes no claims or promises about what your Personal Stem Cells can accomplish – that’s between you and your doctor.
No. Only adult mesenchymal stem cells are used. These cells are capable of forming bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, ligaments, blood vessels, and certain organs.
By keeping your cells stored in liquid nitrogen at -190 degrees, we can preserve the integrity and viability of your cells for decades into the future.
Schedule a consultation with your physician to determine whether you will send in a bone marrow or adipose tissue sample.
Book your tissue harvest appointment. Appointments must be done Monday through Thursday, as the bank only accepts adult shipments Monday through Friday.
Get your infectious disease testing done prior to your tissue harvest appointment.
Once your sample is received and processed by American Cell Technology, you will receive a certificate with your personal identification number.
When you would like to request your cells back, reach out to American Cell Technology at least 2 weeks prior to when you would like your cells.
Both adipose and bone marrow extractions are typically done by medical doctors under local anesthesia. Both processes are quick (about 15 minutes usually), largely painless, and outpatient procedures. In some cases, you might be a little sore or have a bruise around the harvest site for a couple of days after the procedure. But when you bank your stem cells, your harvest should ideally only have to be done one time.
If you are looking to administer your stem cells, we recommend you consult your physician for the medical advice that’s right for you.
Harvesting adipose or bone marrow tissue samples to send to American Cell Technology should be an easy process with no down time and you should be able to return to normal activity right away.
Stem cell therapy relies on the body’s own regenerative healing to occur. The regenerative process may take time, particularly with orthopedic patients, who may not see results for several months. In some diseases, more immediate responses are possible. For each specific case, we recommend you consult with your physician.
Collecting adipose tissue is an easy process for any plastic surgeon, trained cosmetic surgeon or dermatologist. If your doctor has never worked with American Cell Technology before, have them email or call us to learn more and receive a cryokit in order to properly collect and ship your personal tissue sample.
If you want your own stem cells, email or call American Cell Technology with your personal identification number to request your cells at least 2 weeks before you want them back.
Pricing is variable, but often less expensive than banking a newborn’s cord blood. The first year storage fee is included in the initial processing fee. After the first year there is a $250 annual storage fee. For cost of procedure, please contact your physician directly.
By keeping your cells stored in liquid nitrogen at -190 degrees, we can preserve the integrity and viability of your cells for decades into the future.
No. Only adult mesenchymal stem cells are used. These cells are capable of forming bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, ligaments, blood vessels, and certain organs.
Banking your newborn’s personal MSCs is safe, simple and painless and the cord tissue is typically cut away and discarded if not sent for stem cell banking. Since the cord Tissue is rich in MSCs, ACT can then isolate those MSCs and stored them in our cGTP laboratory.
A c-section will not affect whether you can send your baby’s umbilical cord tissue and blood to American Cell Technology.
No. Many people chose not to bank their newborn’s cord blood in consultation with their doctor and that is just fine. American Cell Technology always accepts cord tissue and you may choose to send in your cord blood as well. ACT can isolate plenty of healthy, young, viable mesenchymal stem cells from both sources.