Boca Raton stem cell bank to expand

As she prepared to give birth to twins, Natalie Grafals recalled her brother's fight with cancer as a child. Her brother, now 35, survived the disease.

She and her husband, Freddy, decided to bank their babies' stem cells after their birth.

"I hope we never have to use it," said Grafals, 38, of Pompano Beach. "It is not cheap to do, but it's like an insurance policy for your children and your family as well."

The Grafalses used the services of Boca Raton-based AssureImmune's private bank.

With a new infusion of capital, AssureImmune plans to expand by opening a public bank. That would enable hospitals and doctors to find a potential match for a patient who needs a procedure. It can be difficult to find a match in a diverse region like South Florida, the company's top executives say.

Six years ago, company founder Javier Zylberberg looked at rapidly advancing medical technologies and the promise of stem-cell repair for organs and disease, and offered the firm's services to collect cord blood as well as adult stem cells for private, future use.

AssureImmune is now able to expand with an investment from a new equity partner. Former MDVIP concierge health care executive Andrew Ripps recently joined the company as president and chief operating officer.

"Every day we are learning," Zylberberg said. With the public bank, "I'm sure we are on the right track."

Ripps, trained as a pharmacist, said he expects stem-cell therapy to be an important tool in future medicine. "The next decade is about customized medical care," he said.

Privately held AssureImmune doesn't disclose its sales or how many samples it has in the current bank, which is exclusively for families who bank their stem cells.

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Boca Raton stem cell bank to expand