The Economic PhD Ji Xingwang became thenation’s first person who deposited her newbornbaby girl’s umbilical cord blood into TianjinCord-Blood Stem Cells Bank, which is alsodubbed as Life Bank, on April 18, 2001. Theumbilical cord blood could not only be used tocure leukaemia but also other diseases.

Today, the Life Bank has received wider recognitionin China. Tianjin Cord-Blood StemCells Bank has been one of the largest stemcell banks in the world. It has kept more than80,000 samples of Cord-blood stem cellsand is capable of handling 100 samples ofcord blood every day. The total storage hasreached 300,000. It was also among the firstbatch of cord blood banks that have passedthe evaluation of the Asian cord blood bankorganization.

The bank firstly introduced in the storagemethod of cord blood for own use while inventeda combined mode for public storageand personal storage. According to incompletestatistics, it has set up more than 70 branchesand working stations around the country,where keeps more than 30,000 samples ofnew-born babies’ cord blood. They have acceptedthe inquiries of 615 patients without kinrelationship with the donators from domesticorgan transplantation organizations and Asiancord blood organization. With a success rate of97 percent for the matching, the bank and itssubsidiaries have saved dozens of patients.

The industrial insiders believe that, comparedwith other cord blood banks in the world, theTianjin bank has been in a leading position interms of the storage amount, handling capacity,cleanness, telecommunication and Internet,security and indoor environment control,which also sets an example and standards fordomestic or even the global cord blood banks.

The large-scale cord blood bank has laid asound foundation for the research and industrializationof stem cells in Tianjin. Currentlyone State-level research institute, Institute ofHematology under Chinese Academy of MedicalSciences, and three R&D companies havejointly developed a State-level R&D and transformationbase for stem cells.

Apart from this, it has also set up a nationalkey lab for hematology, national engineeringand technology center for stem cells, nationalindustrial base for stem cells products andnational research center for cells products. Allthese institutes have made Tianjin a nationalleader in the research and industrialization ofstem cells.

The national industrial base for stem cellsproducts is located in THIP, which is mainlyengaged in the storage and clinical applicationof cord-blood stem cells. The project passedthe checks in May 2005. With a total investmentof RMB 118 million yuan, the base takesup a land area of 40,000 square meters anda construction area of 19,000 square meters,which is composed of Xiehe Stem Cells GeneEngineering Co., National Research Center onEngineering Technology of Stem Cells and atransplantation hospital.

In a populous country with 10 to 15 millionnewborn babies a year, the market for cordblood storage has an excellent prospect giventhe rising payable capability and improvingsense for health of Chinese citizens.