Educational Programs Offered as Part of Cryo-Save's Cord Blood Awareness Months

ZUTPHEN, the Netherlands, October 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Cryo-Save Group promotes the awareness of cord blood storage and stem cell therapies at several local educational events held throughout Europe.

Cryo-Save continues its Cord Blood Awareness Months celebration by sponsoring educational events in the Netherlands, Italy and Spain during the months of October and November. It is events like these that Cryo-Save hopes to bring awareness of and research advancements for the stem cell industry.

Stem cells are becoming ever more important in the medical field as a way to treat a broad variety of malignant and non-malignant diseases. The U.S. National Marrow Donor Program sites cord blood as treatment for multiple myeloma, severe aplastic anaemia, beta thalassemia major, SCID and other inherited immune system disorders, and leukaemias and lymphomas. Patients suffering from sickle cell anaemia have been considered cured after being treated with stem cells.^[1] Over 4,000 clinical trials using cord blood stem cells are taking place to treat diseases such as cerebral palsy, diabetes and autism with many more potential clinical trials continuing to develop.

"Cryo-Save's efforts to inform the medical professionals and community members about advances in regenerative medicine means that patients suffering from diseases treatable with stem cells can also become better informed," says Dr. Cherie Daly, Medical Affairs Manager Cryo-Save. "Having a series of events and programs as part of Cord Blood Awareness Months makes an even stronger impact on the meaningfulness of this research and its application." Cryo-Save Group will continue its commitment to promoting the storage of cord blood and stem cells even after Cord Blood Awareness Months by offering several customer related promotions.

Cryo-Save Italy will hold a special meeting for midwives about stem cells, applications and Cryo-Save's storage services on October 2. Dr. Stefano Grossi, Cryo-Save Italy Scientific Director, will be there to present on stem cell applications.  During the month of October Cryo-Save Italy will also offer several parent-to-be courses on similar topics in places all around Italy: Brescia, Venice, Bologna, Milan and others.

Midwives in the Netherlands are invited on October 4 to visit the Cryo-Save Laboratory in Niel, Belgium for a unique behind the scenes tour of the ultra-modern facility - an opportunity not available at most other cord blood banks.  Attendees will have a chance to be given an update from Dr. Sally Sennitt, Cryo-Save Lab Director about the current applications of stem cells, treatable diseases and new clinical trials. Staff from Cryo-Save, the Netherlands will also report on the position and procedure of stem cell storage in the Netherlands and have a group discussion on the topic. "This event is our chance to give midwives information on the importance of stem cell storage and give them tools for helping parents become better informed of this option," says Erica Dikkeboom, Cryo-Save Nederland.

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1. University of Illinois at Chicago (2012, June 18). Chicago woman cured of sickle cell disease. ScienceDaily. Retrieved September 12, 2012, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120618194714.htm

Crio-Cord, Cryo-Save's subsidiary in Spain, will hold a stem cell therapy symposium in Madrid on October 16 focusing on cutting edge therapies using umbilical cord stem cells and will also include current investigations using stem cells that are taking place in Madrid. The symposium will be attended by national and international speakers and is the first of its kind to take place in Madrid.

The congress "Stemcells? Stemcells!" is an overview of the status quo in stem cell research and therapy for international specialists in neonatology, gynaecology and haematology. The goal of this congress is to create an open discussion about the role of stem cell therapies now and in the future. The event is coordinated by Cryo-Save, the Netherlands with up to 50 gynaecologists, paediatricians and midwives in attendance. The program is accredited by the Society of Paediatricians (NVK) and the Society of Gynaecologists (NVOG) and includes presentations about adipose tissue-derived stem cells, stem cell therapy in haematology and stem cells in paediatrics. The chairman of the congress is Prof. Albert Ramon, founder of ITERA (International Tissue Engineering Research Association).

Cryo-Save:http://www.cryo-save.com/group

Cryo-Save, the leading international family stem cell bank, and the largest bank in Europe, stores more than 222,000 samples from umbilical cord blood, cord tissue and adipose tissue. There are already many diseases treatable by the use of stem cells, and the number of treatments will only increase. Driven by its international business strategy, Cryo-Save is now represented in over 40 countries on three continents, with ultra-modern processing and storage facilities in Arabia, Belgium, Germany, India and South Africa.