Key points in this article
In brief. Han's United uses donor mesenchymal cells from neonatal donors who have passed multi-stage screening: examination of the mother, genetic and infectious disease testing of the umbilical cord and placenta, and ID registration for every batch. A patient's own cells, or relatives' cells from a private bank, have not passed this kind of check. Because umbilical cord MSCs are immune-privileged, donor cells work without blood group or HLA matching.
“We have our second child's cells stored: can they be used for our first child?”
This is one of the common questions from families researching cell therapy for a loved one. Naturally, families who paid in advance for cord cell banking at the birth of one of their children hope these cells can be used for a brother, sister or parent, or even for the donor themselves if an indication appears later. A similar situation is cells taken from an adult patient and stored “for the future”. To answer this question, two concepts need to be clear.
“Own” (autologous) and “donor” (allogeneic) cells: what is the difference
In clinical practice, cells fall into two categories by source.
Terminology. Autologous: only the patient's own cells. Allogeneic: donor cells from another person, either a related donor (for example, a brother's or sister's umbilical cord) or an unrelated one, usually neonatal. UC-MSCs: umbilical cord derived mesenchymal stem cells. P-MSCs: placenta-derived mesenchymal cells. (Han's United Glossary, 22 May 2024.)
The idea of using your own cells seems intuitively right: “they are mine, so my body will surely accept them”. Biologically, this is often true for tissues and blood. But for cell therapy in chronic diseases, compatibility is not the only critical parameter: the quality and verification of the cell material are critical too.
What checks Han's United donor cells pass
When a stem cell centre accepts donor material, the material goes through several stages of checks:
Basic screening of the mother: assessment of her health, absence of chronic diseases, review of her medical history.
Genetic screening: testing for known genetic variations and hereditary diseases.
Blood tests: biochemical and immunological parameters.
Infectious disease screening of the newborn's cord blood and placenta: ruling out viral and bacterial infections (including the standard panel: hepatitis, HIV, cytomegalovirus, the herpes group).
ID registration for every batch: each umbilical cord and placenta receives a unique identifier that stays with the material through all stages of culture.
Only after all stages are passed are the cells isolated and cultured for subsequent clinical use. This procedure corresponds to the international practice of cell banks and is described in the peer-reviewed literature as “the most effective method of umbilical cord MSC isolation” (Malgieri A. et al., Int J Clin Exp Med 2010; 3(4): 248-269).
Why donor cells are safer than cells stored by a family
The main difference between a clinic's donor bank and a private family bank is the level of intake control.
Storing cord blood or tissue at a child's birth is a standard commercial service. A family bank stores the material “as is”, without the extensive screening and characterisation applied in a clinical donor bank. This is reasonable for the main purpose of a private bank: in case that specific child needs a haematopoietic transplant for a blood disease in the future. But for broad therapeutic use (for example, in neurological or autoimmune indications), such cells have not been tested against the criteria applied to clinical neonatal donors.
This does not mean that family cells are “bad”. It means that their characteristics have not been verified. A clinic cannot guarantee the quality and safety of material it did not collect and test itself. In the therapy of chronic diseases, especially in children with neurodevelopmental conditions, choosing verified donor cells is a safety position, not a marketing phrase.
Why donor cells do not cause rejection
One common fear is that “the immune system will reject foreign cells”. For most tissues and transplants this is a serious problem that requires immunosuppression and HLA matching. For umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells the situation is different.
UC-MSCs are immune-privileged: they have low surface expression of major histocompatibility complex class II molecules (MHC-II), and they secrete anti-inflammatory factors that “calm” the local immune response. That is why umbilical cord MSCs can be used allogeneically (from a donor) without blood group or HLA matching and without immunosuppressive therapy.
More about MSC immune privilege. MSCs differ from conventional transplanted tissues in their low expression of HLA class I and the near-total absence of HLA class II on their surface. They also secrete prostaglandin E2 (PGE-2), interleukin 10 (IL-10) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), mediators that suppress the activity of effector T cells and stimulate regulatory T cells. Together these properties make MSCs an “immunomodulator” rather than a source of antigens that provoke rejection. This mechanism is described in a review in the American Journal of Stem Cells (AJSC, e-Century Publishing, 2025-08-15).
When the autologous approach applies
Autologous cells have their own area of use, which is different from Han's United's regenerative MSC therapy:
Autologous haematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation is the standard of care for multiple myeloma and some lymphomas. The patient's own bone marrow is collected and stored before high-dose chemotherapy starts, then returned to the patient to restore blood formation.
Cosmetic and orthopaedic uses of adipose-derived MSCs: the patient is the donor of their own AD-MSCs for aesthetic procedures or local regeneration.
For broad regenerative use in chronic neurological, autoimmune and metabolic diseases, the standard of international clinical practice is donor MSCs of verified quality, as at Han's United.
What to clarify when a clinic offers a patient's own or a relative's cells
If another clinic offers to use the patient's own cells or a relative's cells, it helps to ask a few clarifying questions:
Which cell types exactly are being proposed (adipose-derived MSCs? Bone marrow-derived? From a private cord bank?)
What checks has the material passed (if from a private bank): the standard commercial minimum or extended clinical screening?
How does the clinic justify choosing these cells for this specific diagnosis?
Are there peer-reviewed publications on using this cell type for this specific indication?
These questions do not express distrust. They are part of a normal informed consultation. A professional clinic responds to them positively.
References
Malgieri A., Kantzari E., Patrizi M.P., Gambardella S. Bone marrow and umbilical cord blood human mesenchymal stem cells: state of the art. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine. 2010; 3(4): 248–269.
Hans United Group, Scientific and Technological Achievements Series No. 12 (王伟强 Wang Weiqiang, 2019-05-07).
American Journal of Stem Cells (AJSC). NSC or MSC for autism: comparative perspective. 2025-08-15. e-Century Publishing Corporation.
FAQ Han's United (汉氏联合): internal clinic materials.
Han's United Glossary (22 May 2024): trilingual definitions of UC-MSCs / P-MSCs and other terms (RU/EN/ZH).