At American Cell Technology (ACT), the nation’s largest personal stem cell bank, we’re dedicated to preserving your youngest, healthiest cells for your health journey, both today and in the future. We understand the importance of having access to your own stem cells and want to provide you with a behind-the-scenes look at our state-of-the-art stem cell banking process.
Getting Started with Stem Cell Banking
If you’re searching for a stem cell bank near me, ACT provides industry-leading services with the most advanced technology.
The first step in storing your stem cells with ACT is a consultation with your physician. We can help connect you with a trusted physician near you. During this appointment, a small sample of fat or bone marrow will be collected. A single tablespoon of fat contains millions of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and because fat is easier to obtain than bone marrow and typically yields higher cell counts, it often provides a greater number of cells for future use.
ACT exclusively accepts autologous samples, meaning the cells come directly from you. This eliminates the risk of rejection, making the process safer and more personalized.
For expectant parents, ACT also offers VitalCells, our exclusive newborn banking service. VitalCells accepts samples from umbilical cord blood and tissue at birth and is the only newborn stem cell bank that provides a live stem cell count. This service makes a truly unique and valuable gift for your newborn or other loved ones.
From Collection to Our State-of-the-Art Storage Facilities
Once your sample is collected, it is placed on ice and shipped overnight to our laboratory and banking facility. Upon arrival, our team immediately transports it to the lab for processing.
ACT adheres to strict quality standards and complies with all current Good Tissue Practices (cGTP). We meticulously verify the sample’s origin, ensuring all labeling and unique client identifiers match the completed client consent forms. Our lab technicians, fully gowned and gloved, handle all samples with the utmost care and precision.
Inside the Lab: The Stem Cell Banking Process
Before any work begins with your cells, our expert lab technicians conduct thorough environmental sterility and quality assurance tests. This ensures your cells are safe for storage and potential future use.
Our lab team operates within ISO-7-grade cleanrooms, utilizing ISO-5-grade biosafety cabinets. These environments feature HEPA filters that exchange the air at least once per minute, resulting in air tens of thousands of times cleaner than standard indoor air. These rigorous standards and practices create an optimal and safe environment for cell growth, while also keeping ACT compliant with all current GTP, ISO, and USP standards.
To further protect your cells, we recommend completing infectious disease screening before submitting your sample. While ACT accepts most samples regardless of diagnosis, this screening protects clients from the risk of reinfection and ensures the long-term safety of your cells.
Isolating and Expanding Your Stem Cells
To maximize the number of available cells, ACT leverages their natural self-replication ability through a process called culture expansion. Once your cells enter the cleanroom, we isolate them and place them on specialized culture plates within a temperature-controlled incubator. Our lab technicians provide a proprietary blend of GTP-grade nutrients and carefully monitor the cells as they naturally multiply into millions, and even billions, more.
When the cells reach an ideal plate density, they are ready for freezing.
Cell Storage: Cryopreservation and Long-Term Storage
Before cryopreservation, ACT separates a sample of your cells for rigorous sterility and quality testing to ensure samples are free of any contaminants. If the cells pass the testing phase, ACT then allocates at least 10 million of your live cells into individual sterile vials for storage.
The vials are slowly frozen at a rate of 1 degree Celsius per minute to prevent cell membrane damage from ice crystal formation. This controlled freezing continues until the cells reach -190 degrees Celsius (-310 degrees Fahrenheit).
For long-term availability, ACT maintains an untouched reserve of your youngest cells called a “master bank” along with a “working bank” that we expand to meet your immediate needs. This dual approach ensures your cells can support both current applications and future innovations in regenerative medicine.
Accessing Your Stored Stem Cells
When the time comes to use your stored stem cells, ACT will carefully prepare and ship them to your physician, ensuring they arrive viable and ready for use.
At American Cell Technology, we are committed to advancing personalized medicine and empowering you to safeguard your future health. We ensure the highest quality storage of your stem cells, so they are available when and where you need them.
Contact American Cell Technology Today
To learn more about how stem cell banks work or to begin the stem cell banking process, contact ACT today.
Email: info@americancelltechnology.com
Phone: (844) 443-2355
