What is ReliCord?
ReliCord is brought to you by Reliance Life Sciences (RLS), a company dedicated to biotechnology and backed by the Reliance Group of Industries. It is the first registered cord blood bank and repository in South East Asia. Since inception, RLS has stored more than 3500 cord blood samples, and the number is growing rapidly.
RLS screens maternal blood to ensure that the samples are safe, and takes stringent steps to ensure quality and put ethics before everything else.
RLS offers state-of-the-art technology, world-class infrastructure, highly qualified personnel, high levels of commitment and the finest of services. Thus, ReliCord offers the assurance of an advanced cord blood repository with a research back-up and superior storage conditions for precious stem cells. By choosing ReliCord, parents and medical professionals, choose the best for the baby.
Why test maternal blood?
If at all the mother is found to be suffering from any of the infectious diseases that can be transmitted to the baby during pregnancy or delivery, storing such a sample will pose a risk of other stored samples getting contaminated. Also, under such a scenario, the therapeutic utility of such stem cells will be questionable. Hence, it is mandatory to check the maternal blood for infectious diseases before going ahead with storage of cord blood (as per international guidelines).
RLS collects the mother’s blood sample and tests it for 5 infectious diseases. And RLS stores the sample only after the test report is negative for all these diseases.
Why test for HLA?
Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) typing is very unique for every individual and an essential parameter to be known for the donor as well as the recipient before any transplant procedure. It can be done using umbilical cord blood before starting its processing. In fact, HLA typing gives a biological and therapeutic identity to the stored cord blood.
What happens to the money if the baby’s cord blood is rejected?
In the unfortunate event of baby’s cord blood being rejected, RLS refunds the money to the parents except the registration and processing fee till that stage, which may differ from case to case.
In case of twins, what happens?
Cord blood collection in twins can have less volume due to the distribution of blood. Under such a condition, two cord blood collection kits will be issued and blood from both the cords will be collected separately.
Can the baby’s cord blood stem cells be retrieved at any time?
Yes, the sample can be retrieved at anytime on producing the relevant documents.
When required, can the stored cord blood stem cells be used for the baby’s relatives?
In case a relative of the baby requires the cord blood stem cells, a test called HLA typing is performed to determine if the recipient’s body will accept the baby’s cord blood stem cells. Only if they do, further procedures are undertaken.
What happens at the time of a transplant?
At the time of transplant, the cord blood stem cells are transported in special cryo-containers owned by RLS to the transplant hospital. These cryoshippers are validated and can maintain cord blood stem cells at -150 deg C for a period of 7 days. The entire process of making the cord blood stem cells available for transplant is facilitated by RLS.
Is the baby’s cord blood safe where it is stored?
The cord blood repository at Reliance Life Sciences features backup generators, continuous liquid nitrogen supply, computerised monitoring systems that limit entry into the cryogenic vault strictly to the authorized personnel; and paging, computer and faxing systems that maintain constant contact with the technicians. The facility and systems are monitored twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year to ensure the long-term security of cord blood stem cells.
Dr. Joseph Sera Jose
Medical Director
Ambica Biotechnologies
a Division of Ambica International Trading Corp.
Biotech Office: 5523483-84 loc. 117 or loc. 106 c/o Vanessa
Cellphone number: (0917)570-3861
Email Address: joseph.serajose@ambicaphilippines.com
