Cryo-Save Group N.V. is Proud to Announce a Step Forward in Cord Blood Stem Cell Education for Gynecologists: the Italian Case

ZUTPHEN, The Netherlands, October 12, 2011 -

Cryopreservation of cord blood and its precious stem cells hold a very valuable promise for the future health of a new born child. Stem cells are already used in treating a large variety of malignant diseases and the application of stem cells for future treatments and uses in regenerative medicine is very promising.

There is only one chance to extract and store cord blood stem cells: immediately after the birth of a new baby. Unfortunately, only a few parents and healthcare practitioners are aware of the enormous potential the umbilical cord holds. As a result, umbilical cords are usually discarded and the stem cells are lost forever.

The Italian Association of Hospital Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AOGOI) is committed to changing this in the Italian market: a clear indication that a new era in cord blood stem cell communication has just started and supported by medical network.

AOGOI entered into an agreement with Cryo-Save, the largest family stem cell bank in Europe, to launch LIVECORD project.

The LIVECORD project is dedicated to providing education and disseminating accurate information on the cryopreservation of stem cells and their current use in clinical therapeutic treatments to medical and paramedical staff.

Supporting parents to make an informed decision

The preservation of cord blood stem cells is an important decision for families. Full support from knowledgeable medical staff is essential and will help parents make an informed choice. Cryo-Save and AOGOI will provide information and training events to the medical and paramedical staff; offering Italian families the security of being able to make the right decision for the future of their child.

According to Dr. Stefano Grossi, gynecologist and scientific director of Cryo-Save Italy, “We are excited to have the opportunity to work with AOGOI, an organization that has recognized the value of our decade-long work, and to establish once more our role as a leading company in this sector, constantly striving to improve our services.”

Prof. Antonio Chiantera, AOGOI Secretary General, states: “AOGOI is very committed to creating a new culture on the issue of cord blood stem cells in order to increase, all over the country, donations and/or autologous preservation. Preservation will be conducted in full compliance with current regulations and with the hope that the autologous-solidarity preservation would soon be reactivated as a possible option.”

Arnoud Van Tulder, CEO of Cryo-Save Group: “The partnership with AOGOI is a milestone in our activity: for the first time we see officially recognized the value of a cooperation between private stem cell bank banks and doctors operating in public hospitals, to educate people about the importance of autologous and allogeneic cord blood storage; a new era in stem cell communication and a new strong value for our industry.”

More information

LIVECORD is a joint project between Cryo-Save and AOGOI, providing education on the cryoprservation of stem cells from cord blood.

AOGOI: www.aogoi.it

AOGOI was founded in 1948 and has represented demands and expectations of hospital obstetricians and gynecologists in Italy who believe in the right of the associations to promote the continuous cultural and scientific update. Today AOGOI is a large scientific community with more than 5,000 members, serves as a key point reference for Italian Gynecology and is at the forefront of scientific research in the field of obstetrics and gynecology.

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

Cryo-Save, the leading international family stem cell bank, already stores more than 185,000 samples from cord blood and umbilical cord tissue for newborns and adipose tissue for adults. These stem cells can mean the difference between life and death in the case of future threats to the health of the donors. There are already several diseases that can be cured 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 four continents, with ultra-modern processing and storage facilities in the United States, Belgium, Germany, Dubai, India, South Africa and France (validation in progress).

For Info: www.livecord.it - www.cryo-save.it - www.aogoi.it

Cryo-Save Marketing & Communications Department: Tel: +41-55-222-0251, Renzo Gentile renzo.gentile at cryo-save.com ; Ashley Ringger ashley.ringger at cryo-save.com . Cryo-Save Italia Press Agency, Eurelab Corso Fiume 11, 10131 - Torino - Italy, Tel. +39-011-0464611, Francesca Aimar francesca.aimar at eurelab.it ; Stefano Coscia stefano.coscia at eurelab.it .