Why do Virgin and all the other private cord blood banks only freeze samples for around 20 years?
That’s simply the longest period a cord blood sample has been stored for so far, says Davis. We absolutely believe that the samples will last longer, we just can’t categorically state that. 25 Twenty per cent of a sample sounds like a very small amount. Will it be any use? Opinions are divided, depending on whether you believe in cell expansion technology. Cells4Life’s Jeff Drew is sceptical, as he says such a small volume of cord blood is collected anyway. Before [augmented cells] go into widespread clinical applications, there’s going to have to be huge amounts of trials, he adds. Virgin’s Andrew Davis agrees that the technology needs to be improved, but argues, We’re confident in cell expansion technology. Whether you keep the whole unit for yourself, or just 20 per cent – either way, you’ll need cell expansion technology. 26 How is Virgin going to overcome the problem of collection? It is working with 304 maternity units all over the UK to educate midwives and find a way to work wi
