How I met Pietro from the Swiss Stem Cells Bank

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It was a long time ago, when i discovered Second Life and started my very first resident project under the name of Clara Young.
I had come to Second Life while I was writing a thesis on "Coaching and new technology : human accompaniment at distance" for the Paris 8 University. I was trying to explore the different means that were offered by distant tools as email, IM, videoconference and I was finishing by persistant universes. I had no ideas exactly of what I would found, but after a little while, I really get caught by the multiple creative aspects of Second Life. I finished my thesis and finally stayed inworld where I created the Feel at Home brand and my first village on Tulip Island. It was a magic time, where I made really good relationships in all over the worlds, and learnt a lot about community, small building and small scripting...
I had a vague idea I wanted to link this to my real consultant activity but I was taking my time. One day, I was contacted by one of the resident on Tulip, under the name of Contactum2000 Allen. Pietro who liked my work there, asked me if I was able to conduct a project for him and that was the Swiss Stem Cells Bank. It was supposed to be small, experimental and limited in time. It ended up big, corporate and it is still open to future development. But the best of all, is I really enjoyed working with Pietro on that project, where I think we both felt as Colombus, discovering potentialities of a New World.... The subject was for me enthousiastic, and I am really happy of the work we achieved there, hoping it has brought many people to learn about the role of the stem cells. I am grateful I had this chance to have met Pietro and that he chose me  to accomplish this project in Second Life. It was my really first corporate project in Second Life and a production which I was proud of in my portfolio.


The Concept in Second Life

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The idea of this project was to create a place in Second Life to explain in a 3D environment; the process of collection, treatment and conservation of the embryotic stem cells, and make a global audience awareness of its role and possibilities in the healing of many pathologies. The project aimed to :
- de-dramatized the process of registration and collection of the blood samples
- value research processes inside SSCB
- put in perspective the simplicity and security of the registration process to SSCB

The creation of the SSCB site in Second Life would have to reflect the concepts, products and values of the S.S.C.B thru architecture, welcoming, research, technology, & pedagogy.
The architecture was not precised but it had to stay light and contemporary. The details of the inside had to be close to reality, which meant to reproduce the process of registration, the rooms, materials, machines of the scientists and doctors.
The idea was to be as global as possible, and propose a visit in 6 different languages to make understoodable by non scientific people the role of the stem cells.

The links to the real world would go to the website or the call center from all informations objects. The idea was to keep discreet, and not to press people.

What is Swiss Stem Cells Bank ?

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SSCB is the conjunction of two major Swiss medical and research institutions : the Laboratory of Molecular Diagnosis and the Cardiologic Centre of Lugano Tessin, an ultramodern building which shelters a hospital specialised in acute pathologies, equipped with operation rooms and a service of intensive therapy, controlled by a technical service able to operate 24 hours a day, and 365 days a year.

The SSCB is the first Swiss structure to propose a private service for stem cells conservation, the only one to manage totally and exclusively the laboratories and conservation activities in Switzerland.

More specifically, SSCB isolates and conserves the stem cells of the umbilical cord at the time of the birth, cells that could be used in the future, to cure, and maybe save the life of the new born baby.  Even throughout his childhood, and when he becomes an adult. The cells conserved at SSCB belong exclusively  to the people who stored them and who will be able to use them at any time they would need them.

The stem cells are cells which "did not specialized yet", meaning not differentiated yet to fulfill a specific and final function. A stem cell undifferentiated is characterized by its capacity to generate cells specialized while being different and to multiply quasi infinitely in an identical way (autorenewal), in particular in culture. 
In fact it is like cell-joker, and this characteristic makes them extremely valuable because potentially able "to repair" damaged bodies and tissues.

The adult stem cells are present in some of our organs and tissues, and have generally the role to regenerate the body or tissue where they are present. The adult stem cells are present in great concentration in the blood of the umbilical cord at the moment of the birth. There is thus no obstacle  of moral nature to their use with therapeutic or research purposes.

Today the stem cells are used in the treatment of certain tumours, lymphomas or leukaemias, but also for the myocardial infarction and in bone-marrow transplant. The scientific community considers that in a close future, the therapies issued from the stem cells will be used in a wide way for the care of diseases as various as: damaged spinal cord, neurodegeneratives diseases (Parkinson, Alzheimer), diseases of the muscles and the skeleton, degenerative diseases of the liver, retina, cornea, auditive apparatus, metabolic diseases (like the diabetes), bones reconstruction.

For someone expecting a child, it is a unique opportunity to protect its future. The stem cells present in the umbilical cord at the moment of the birth are a unique and irreplaceable inheritance: to preserve it is a responsible choice.

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