Stem cell storage at Regenexx Cayman allows you to cryogenically freeze and store your mesenchymal stem cells at their current biological age. As the exclusive provider of this cutting-edge procedure, patients from around the world travel to Regenexx Cayman for stem cell storage. Stem cell storage is available as a standalone service, however, please note that Regenexx-C treatment includes stem cell storage and the reinjection cycle. Using proprietary lab techniques, we concentrate and culture-expand your mesenchymal stem cells - yielding up to 100 to 1,000 times more cells. This exponentially increases the number of cells available for future treatment.
One of our U.S. board certified physicians will conduct a bone marrow aspiration to extract bone marrow from your hip. Using proprietary lab techniques, our cell biologists then isolate your mesenchymal stem cells from the bone marrow aspirate and culture-expand these cells in our state-of-the-art laboratory. Your stem cells are grown and then cryogenically frozen (at -150 degrees Celsius). A sample of your cells is sent to an independent laboratory for Karyotype analysis.
Regenexx Cayman has the biggest clean room laboratory in the Caribbean, equipped with state-of-the-art technology that enables us to culture your stem cells and customize your treatment dosage. It is staffed by expert cell biologists and lab technicians to ensure your stem cells are safely preserved and handled with care. Our exclusive culturing process provides you with up to 1,000 times more stem cells than same-day stem cell procedures, exponentially increasing the number of critical repair cells available for future treatment. Your cells are safely stored at our laboratory and available for use at any time.
Stem cell banking is an ideal procedure for proactive patients or if you’re thinking about your future quality of life. It allows you to cryogenically freeze your adult stem cells at their current biological age and provides you with your own stem cell “repair kit” that is available for future orthopedic treatments with Regenexx Cayman.
The stem cell storage procedure costs US $10,500.
*The first year of stem cell storage is complimentary and subsequent years are US$450 per annum. ** For international patients, complimentary transportation is available to and from the airport, to their Seven Mile Beach accommodation, and to all Regenexx Cayman appointments.
If you have any questions about stem cell banking, please contact our patient care team.
To find out if you’re a candidate for stem cell storage, simply complete a medical candidacy form, which can be provided to you by a member of our patient care team. This will be reviewed by one of Regenexx Cayman’s U.S. board certified physicians and is simply a measure to ensure that you are medically able to have a bone marrow aspiration, as there are some medical history and medication restrictions.
Yes. Regenexx Cayman allows patients to transfer their stored stem cells to other facilities. You must sign a release form to permit the removal of your cells from our laboratory; it is then your responsibility to arrange shipment and ensure they are transported correctly at an appropriate temperature.
Once your stem cells leave our storage facility, Regenexx Cayman will not be responsible for the stem cells’ viability.
Please note, your cells can only be transported to a country that will allow culture-expanded stem cells to be shipped to it. Canada and the U.S. currently do not allow this. Stem cells have a very short life span once they are taken out of storage. We recommend you ensure that your location of choice can sufficiently cryopreserve your cells.
If you are a proactive person thinking ahead about how you can maintain your orthopedic health in the years to come, then stem cell banking with Regenexx Cayman is certainly an option worth considering.
You can discuss your options with our patient care team, but please note that you may be required to have a phone consultation with a Regenexx Cayman physician before proceeding. This would be to check your medical candidacy and to help establish whether proactive storage or immediate treatment is the best option for you.
Please contact our patient care team if you are interested in banking your stem cells.
(Please note we only store cultured, mesenchymal stem cells for orthopedic use.)
Prior to your bone marrow aspiration (BMA), we thoroughly numb the area with a local anesthetic. Approximately 80% of patients report the BMA as “comfortable with no major soreness after the procedure.” There is some discomfort during the procedure, but it is not typically painful – many patients describe it as a deep pressure.
Patients sometimes confuse a bone marrow aspiration with a bone marrow biopsy, which is a much more invasive and painful procedure. If you are feeling anxious, we can provide oral medication to help you relax, or we can arrange conscious sedation (a type of anesthesia).
Your safety is our priority. At Regenexx Cayman, our quality assurance protocols are designed to ensure your stem cells are safe and healthy for re-injection.
Over the years, Regenexx physicians have performed many studies assessing both the safety and complications of using culture-expanded stem cells for orthopedic use, and have found there to be no neoplastic complications detected at any stem cell re-implantation site.
After your stem cells are cryopreserved, a sample is tested for sterility at a third-party laboratory. A sample is also sent for karyotype analysis at an independent cytogenetics laboratory at the University of Colorado. This analysis examines whole chromosome structure and number, which is indicative of cell stability and health. We will inform you of the lab results once they have been received and will only perform treatment with cells we deem to be safe.
All sample processing and stem cell storage is completed in our certified ISO class 7 cleanroom laboratory, which is the largest cleanroom in the Caribbean. Our laboratory air is HEPA-filtered, we maintain stringent standards of sterility for clinical products, we use aseptic technique, and we adhere to strict protective gowning protocols. Your stem cells are safely stored in our state-of-the-art laboratory, and your cells are for your use only – they will not be removed from storage without your permission.
Stem cell storage requires one trip to the Cayman Islands, with a minimum two-night stay.
No, Regenexx Cayman will not use your stem cells to treat another patient or family member. Regenexx only provides autologous stem cell therapy, which means we use a person’s own stem cells for treatment.
You can safely store your cells indefinitely, and they will be available for future treatment. Culture-expanding your stem cells gives a greater cell yield, but it is important to note that you will still have a finite number of stem cells available. Once you have used all your stored stem cells for treatment, another bone marrow aspiration will be required (if you wish to continue storing your cells or have further Regenexx-C treatment).
The stem cell storage procedure costs US$10,500, which includes one complimentary year of stem cell storage. Subsequent years of storage are US$450 a year.