Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov.21
By Elnur Baghishov, Leman Zeynalova - Trend:
Iran will start exports of umbilical cord stem cells, said Managing Director of Royan Cord Blood Bank Morteza Zarrabi.
“It is necessary to create conditions for export of stem cells. It is possible to bring huge revenues to Iran with these exports. There is a need for cooperation and coordination in this issue,” ISNA quoted him as saying.
“Currently, the experience of storing umbilical cord stem cells in banks is not spread so widely. However, Royan Cord Blood Bank is considered the largest umbilical cord stem cells bank in the Middle East with more than 100,000 samples stored in it,” he added.
Zarrabi noted that currently one project is underway in one of the science and technology park, which will bring the bank’s capacity to 200,000 samples and further will allow to export it abroad.
Royan Cord Blood Bank was founded in 2005 to take, proceed and fulfill the required steps in the realm of cord blood banking. Taking advantage of a group of scientists, researchers and experts in the field of Immunology, Hematology and Oncology, right now this center has covered the preliminary steps including storing more than 90000 samples in its public and private banks and opening braches in more than 28 cities nationwide.
Stem cells have the remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types in the body during early life and growth. In addition, in many tissues, they serve as a sort of internal repair system, dividing essentially without limit to replenish other cells as long as the person or animal is still alive. When a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential either to remain a stem cell or become another type of cell with a more specialized function, such as a muscle cell, a red blood cell, or a brain cell.