What does it mean to lose something as valuable as our DNA? That’s one of the many questions behind ‘Lost Cells’. This gripping investigative podcast series uncovers the human stories behind the promises and failures of private stem cell banking in Switzerland.
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.
The six-part series is an original SWI swissinfo.ch trilingual podcast. ‘Lost Cells’ is available in English, Spanish, and French and was produced in collaboration with Studio OchentaExternal link, Piz Gloria Productions, and Futur Proche. It is narrated in English by award-winning science journalist, Angela SainiExternal.
Photo by SWI swissinfo.ch/ Marcus Center for Cellular Cures
This project was one of the finalists of the DIG Awards 2025 (Podcasts). The category is reserved for journalistic products in audio format (podcasts, audio dramas, radio programmes) that address and narrate current issues with an investigative approach, using investigative techniques and a novel slant.
