Britain today launched Europe's first stem cell bank and said it could be up and running within a year.
Britain today launched Europe's first stem cell bank and said it could be up and running within a year.
The Medical Research Council said the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC) has been appointed to set up the UK Stem Cell Bank which will ensure that there is a single national independent institute responsible for managing and supplying approved stem cell lines for research.
"I'm delighted to announce that the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control is to set up the Stem Cell Bank," said George Radda, chief executive of the Medical Research Council.
"The Institute is the UK's premier facility for establishing biological standards and as such is ideally positioned to manage the Bank," he added in a statement.
Stem cells have the potential to develop into virtually any cell in the body. They offer the potential of providing treatments for life-threatening illnesses such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and heart disease.
The bank will allow researchers to explore the enormous potential of stem cells in a controlled environment. Stem cell lines held in the bank will continue to divide and can survive indefinitely.