Episode one of our new podcast ‘Lost Cells’ is out now

Our new investigative podcast into the promises and failures of private stem cell banking in Switzerland is now available for you to listen and subscribe.

SWI swissinfo.ch / Marcus Center for Cellular Cures

‘Lost Cells’ is a six-part audio documentary series that examines the trust we place in technology to protect us from future illness—and what happens when that trust is broken.

You can listen now to the first episode of ‘Lost Cells’ and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple PodcastsExternal link, SpotifyExternal link, and YouTube.

Lost Cells

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What’s the podcast about?

In ‘Lost Cells’ we join families from across Europe as they grapple with corporate intrigue and a lack of transparency in private stem cell banking in Switzerland. Are the precious cells they’ve entrusted a company with safe, and will they be able to use them in life-changing treatments?

A private stem cell, or cord blood, bank is a facility that stores these important, foundation cells for the human body. Parents pay to bank cord blood from a baby’s birth in the hope of using the cells in a potential future medical treatment.

In Spain, a former journalist battling a terminal illness embarks on an emotional quest to find his daughter’s stem cells, driven by a fierce desire to cure his illness.

In Serbia, a family’s dreams of helping their daughter and working with a top US research facility fall apart after the promises of a stem cell bank called CryoSave turn to ashes. And from Switzerland to the United States, an independent team of journalists is determined to unearth the truth. 

What happens in Episode One, ‘The Promise’?

In episode one of ‘Lost Cells’ we meet Luis Daniel, who suffers from a rare blood cancer. He’s heard about the potential of stem cell research and believes there may be one last option opening up to save his life as he becomes a new father.

Banking his baby’s cord blood offers an opportunity to access a potential cure. He looks to Cryo-Save, a leading private stem cell bank in Switzerland to help him protect himself and his family.

A podcast that will make you examine your trust in technology

How much faith should we put in emerging health technologies? The promises can be highly appealing, whether you’re someone who desperately needs a medical solution while the clock is ticking, or even if you’re a new parent who wants the best possible future for your child.

‘Lost Cells’ is a series that puts our hopes and the realities of the emerging cord blood banking industry under the microscope.

The podcast is an original and international co-production from SWI swissinfo.ch, and award-winning teams at Studio Ochenta, Piz Gloria Productions, and the investigative journalists at Futur Proche. ‘Lost Cells’ is available in English, French, and Spanish on SWI swissinfo.ch and all major podcast platforms.

We hope you enjoy listening to ‘Lost Cells’, and find it revealing and informative. Let us know what you think of the first episode: you can contact us here.