LifebankUSA

LifebankUSA is a cord blood bank founded in 1998, located in Cedar Knolls, NJ, and is the only cord blood bank that enables parents to bank their newborn’s stem cells from two usable sources of stem cell-rich blood, the cord blood and the placenta. LifebankUSA also offers expectant parents the option of banking placenta tissue. Today, the company is only one of a few private cord blood banks that accepts cord blood donations. LifebankUSA is owned by Celgene Corporation, a multinational biopharmaceutical company committed to improving the lives of patients worldwide.
Dr. Robert Hariri, Founder
Technological leaders in stem cell banking today, LifebankUSA was originally conceived as a result of the personal experience of its founder, Dr. Robert Hariri — neurosurgeon and stem cell pioneer.
During a rotation in obstetrics at Cornell University Medical College, Dr. Hariri first became interested in the placenta, which provides nutrients and life-sustaining oxygen to the fetus. When he and his wife were about to become first-time parents, he was able to envision the potential of placental stem cells.
Dr. Hariri made it his mission to transform the potential of placental stem cells into a clinical reality. To fulfill his vision of collecting, processing, and preserving both cord blood and placenta-derived stem cells, he formed a company called Anthrogenesis. Later the company became LifebankUSA after being acquired by Celgene, an American biotechnology company. In 2007 and 2011, Dr. Hariri was awarded the Thomas Alva Edison Award for his achievements related to placental stem cell collection.
Cord & Placenta Blood Overview
Stem cells from cord and placenta blood have been shown to successfully replace abnormal or diseased cells and treat life-threatening blood disorders such as leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma. Since 1988,cord blood stem cell transplants have been used to treat approximately 80 diseases. Physicians have treated more than 25,000 patients worldwide with cord blood stem cells through a process called hematopoietic reconstitution (the reformation of blood cellular components).
Only LifebankUSA is registered with the FDA to process the stem cells in both cord and placenta blood. Compared to cord blood banking alone, placental & cord blood banking yields 41% more of a particular type of cell called a CD34+ stem cell. Studies have shown that using more CD34+ stem cells can lead to a significant survival advantage in transplant patients.
LifebankUSA client Quentin Murray was the first person in the world to receive a stem cell transplant from the cord and placenta blood. He was infused with his little sister’s cord and placenta blood stem cells. His cancer has been in complete remission since his transplant surgery, and he was deemed fully cured* on March 28, 2010, which marked the 2-year anniversary of his transplant.
Banking & Regenerative Medicine
In the years ahead, having more cells available through placental and cord blood banking may prove beneficial for new treatments in an emerging medical field known as regenerative medicine. This pioneering medical approach involves repairing or replacing damaged tissues and organs that have been affected by congenital defects, disease, trauma, or aging, and restoring their critical functions.*,
Specific stem cells called mesenchymal cells may prove useful for regenerative medicine treatments. Placental and cord blood contain mesenchymal-like cells. In laboratories, scientists have learned that mesenchymal stem cells have strong potential to repair bones and regrow cartilage.
According to estimates, regenerative medicine could revolutionize health care, providing effective therapies for previously untreatable diseases and conditions. The US Department of Health and Human Services expects regenerative medicine to make significant advances over the next 10 to 20 years.

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