NEARLY 200,000 Shenzheners are storing their stem cells and immune cells in biotech enterprises in the city, the Shenzhen Economic Daily reported yesterday.

Shenzhen Beike Biotechnology Co. Ltd. is one of the biotech enterprises that offer stem cell storage services. The charges vary from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of yuan, the report said. The entry-level package is priced at 19,800 yuan (US$3,030), including the storage of seven tubes of seed cells that can be used seven times.

A man surnamed Wang from Bao’an District decided to store cells Sunday. Ten years ago, he came to Shenzhen from his hometown in Hubei Province and has been working in the construction industry for many years.

He said years of hard work have taken a toll on his health, so he wants to deposit healthy cells right now in case of use in the future.

A woman surnamed Luo from Futian has also stored her cells this year. “My family is a large family, and many friends and relatives have died of cancer. I choose to store my cells, partly because I’m in awe of life,” she said.

Up to now, nearly 100,000 people have stored stem cells and immune cells with the company, including both Shenzheners and people from other cities. In particular, those aged between 40 and 55 account for 40 percent and those above 55 years old account for 20 percent.

The occupations of these customers include entrepreneurs, civil servants, staffers, teachers and freelancers.

According to BGI, another leading biotech enterprise in Shenzhen, the company has more than 10,000 cell samples and is receiving an increasing number of commercial samples for storage in the past two years.

Currently, many medium- and small-sized biotech enterprises on the market are also offering commercial cell storage services. A rough estimate showed that nearly 200,000 people in Shenzhen have stored stem cells and immune cells.

According to industry insiders, partaking in cell therapy provides many advantages and will be able to be turned into effective medical treatment with the support of a cell bank preparation center.

Cell therapy is still considered a high-end treatment option at present. But with the ongoing growth and popularization of the technology, the cost will reduce greatly, thus making it more affordable to ordinary citizens, said insiders. (Zhang Yu)