Stem Cell Donation FAQ's
Help your future self and others by accelerating stem cell research!
You have the option to donate part of your Quality Assurance sample for research that may help others and possibly yourself.
This donation is anonymous, optional, and in no way diminishes the cells you have banked with us.
The choice to donate is up to you.
If you’d like to learn more, review the FAQs below, or reach out to us directly at info@foreverlabs.com or (888) 344-8463.
How does donating affect my cell count?
Donating your cells does not affect your cell count or storage with Forever Labs. We are simply taking the cells that we already use for quality assurance and providing them for research.
If I agree to donate my additional cells, who has the rights to them?
Ultimately, you have the rights to your cells. You can choose to no longer allow Forever Labs to provide them to researchers at any time. That said, Forever Labs will not be able to retrieve cells that have been deployed to researchers.
What information of mine might be shared?
The information we may share about the cell’s donor is anonymized and general in nature (i.e. sex, age, gender, general health history, etc).
Who will have access to my information if I donate?
Forever Labs does not share any personal or identifiable information with any 3rd parties. The cells are anonymized when given to researchers. We may share general information about gender, age and other non-identifying information in an anonymized way with researchers to increase the value of the cells for research, but no identifiable info is shared.
Who is receiving my cells?
Your cells may be shared with research institutions and organizations that use stem cells to study a multitude of therapies.
What will my cells be used for?
Some examples of use are to study cellular therapies for cardiovascular disease, stroke, MS, Alzheimer’s, Osteoarthritis and other age-related diseases.
Can you give me a specific example how they will be used?
Your cells could be used to study treatments for age-related diseases like osteoarthritis. In this case, they may be grown in a laboratory in the presence of a drug used to treat osteoarthritis.
Will my cells be used in a person?
Your cells will be most useful in pre-clinical trial research, so it’s highly unlikely that your cells would be used for therapeutics, but it is possible. Most clinical trials are using donor cells taken directly from donors.
What does “pre-clinical trials” mean?
Pre-clinical is a stage of research that begins before clinical trials can begin, and during which important feasibility, iterative testing and drug safety data are collected. Before therapies are tested on humans, they can be tested on cells.
Will I get notified when my cells are used for research? Do I get notified when they’re used?
No, usage of donated cells is not reported back to Forever Labs.
What if I change my mind?
Simply reach out to Forever Labs at info@foreverlabs.com or (888) 344-8463 and we will cease providing your cells to research and therapeutic organizations.
Can I be registered for “be the match” or other donation organizations?
Unfortunately, not at this moment. We are working towards making this an option and will update our clients once available.
How do I know that you won’t use the cells if I opt out?
Forever Labs is required to follow all HIPAA (Health Information Portability and Accountability Act) laws and cannot donate your cells without your permission. For more information on your Health Privacy rights please visit HealthIT.gov.
