Launch HN: Forever Labs (YC S17) – Stem-Cell Banking

I noticed that you recommend 18 years old or older. How does this differ from a company like Cord Blood Registry[1] which evidently takes and stores cells from the umbilical cord?

Your lifetime plans are attractive and your company opens up the possibility of storing stem cells (and their blue-sky future healing promises) for children who missed out the first time.

A comparison could help others decide and migrate over once their kids are 18.

[1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cord_Blood_Registry

Not something we provide! :)

I like it but there are some major questions:

1. What kind of stem cells do you get from bone marrow pluripotent?

2. Do we know how long samples last in cryo-preservation? Eg. is there any example of a 60 year old stem cell that was able to actually seed something biologically functional?

3. Is there a roadmap for some system that tells the user how and when they would request their cells to be used? Or is it just based on when their hypothetical doctor says they need to collect them?

4. Assuming you donate at 30 and live till 90, you are paying ~$17,000 to store these cells. What kind of likelihood do you see on getting $17,000 worth of value out of storing these. Asked another way:

If I was 90 and had a two stem cells in front of me at the stem cell market one that was free and was 90 years old and one that was 17,000 and was 30 years old, would the 30 year old one be worth the 17,000? Or do we know yet?

There are mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in dental pulp. I have not studied them myself; however, they are reportedly similar to bone marrow MSCs. We bank all the nucleated cells in the bone marrow for two reasons: 1) there are high numbers of MSCs and hematopoietic stem cells (which build blood and immune cells), as well as endothelial progenitor cells (which build vasculature) and others such as marrow stromal cells, pericytes, etc, and 2) most trials employ bone marrow-derived MSCs. The significantly higher numbers are an advantage from an expansion standpoint, and the diversity of cells for applications. Still, having your young biology from your teeth (as long as the cryopreservation is done properly) is an asset, IMO.

The cell populations are actually quite similar; there are both mesenchymal and hematopoietic stem cells in cord blood and bone marrow. In many ways, our service is 'cord blood banking for adults'. However, unlike a cord blood bank, we are developing potential rejuvenative therapies using these cells.