Cell Banking Outsourcing, a Process of Replicating and Storing Cells for Future Use
Cell banking describes the procedure by which certain kinds of cells are replicated, stored, and replicated for future use. Cell banking has been around since the 1970s, but only in recent years has it become a popular tool for researchers. It has been an exciting area of medical research because it offers an opportunity to study and treat diseases that had previously been treated only successfully in vitro. Although the technology has advanced to a great degree, the basic principles of cell banking have not changed significantly over the years, what has changed is how these cells are stored/handled, along with the methods used to stimulate them to reproduce. One of the primary uses of cell banking is for stem cells, which are cells from the bone marrow that can be used to replace damaged or lost stem cells in an adult patient. Stem cell banking is also used to replace thymus glands in children with a more appropriate number of cells for their immune system, a...