First stem cell bank makes debut in VN

VGP – MekoStem, the first stem cell bank licensed in Việt Nam by the Ministry of Health, came into operation yesterday in Hồ Chí Minh City.

February 16, 2009 10:00 AM GMT+7

A MekoStem laboratory - Photo: Vietnamnet

MekoStem applies umbilical stem cell separating technology provided by Singaporean CellResearch Corporation to preserve and store umbilical cord stem-cells (including blood and cord lining).

The overall expenditure for collecting, analyzing, splitting and storing cells is around US $800-2,500.

MekoStem was primarily invested with over VND 10 billion by MekoPhar Chemical Pharmaceutical Joint-stock Company (MCPJSC) with the assistance of the Ministry of Science and Technology.

It serves two different types of customers: mothers voluntarily devoting their child’s umbilical cords to the stem-cell bank for public purposes; and paying clients who want to preserve their infant’s umbilical cords for future medical treatment.

MekoStem hopes to early put stem-cell treatment into practice for cardiovascular, endocrine, nervous diseases, orthopedics and cosmetic operation.

So far, four stem-cell banks have been established in Việt Nam. They are run by MCPJSC, Ngọc Tâm Joint-stock Company, Military Hospital 103 and the Hồ Chí Minh Hospital for Hematology and Blood Transfusion.

By Hương Giang