World's first stem cell bank opened in the UK

Main Category: Stem Cell Research
Article Date: 19 May 2004 - 0:00 PDT

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The UK opened the world's first embryonic stem cell bank. It will supply and store stem cell lines aimed at research and treatment for chronic conditions such as Diabetes, Alzheimer's Disease and Parkinson's Disease. A spokesman for the new bank says they expect to store tens of thousands of stem cell lines.

Stem cell research is a controversial subject. Many people are accusing the bank of being a recipient and storer of dead babies.

The bank is in Hertfordshire, England.

UK Health Minister Lord Warner "This potentially revolutionary research could benefit thousands of patients whose lives are blighted by devastating diseases."

The USA, under the Presidency of G Bush, has severe limits set on stem cell research. The pro-life lobby in the USA is powerful and G Bush is allied to it. Many say that the extraction of stem cells from human embryos violates the rights of the embryos.

A stem cell is a master cell, like a master key. A stem cell can potentially grow into any cell or tissue - be it a new tooth or brain tissue.

Scientists say stem cell technology will provide the answer to many incurable diseases. The research will be able to replace damaged or faulty cells and tissue with brand new healthy ones. They say they need more research, and that people with chronic conditions will benefit enormously.

The Medical Research Council (UK) and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (UK) have both funded the stem cell bank.

Professor Colin Blakemore, CEO of the Medical Research Council, said "Stem cell research offers real promise for the treatment of currently incurable diseases. The bank will ensure that researchers can explore the enormous potential of this exciting science for the future benefit of patients."

WHAT IS STEM CELL RESEARCH?

A stem cell is a biological cell which has the ability to reproduce itself and so give rise to cells which are typical of differentiated tissues. Such differentiated tissues are organisations of cells with characteristic properties and functions. Some stem cells have the potential to generate a diversity of body tissues, so they have great potential for therapeutic use. In this section of the Atlas (Map G), human stem cells are meant unless otherwise stated.

Given specialised expertise and equipment, some stem cells can be isolated and induced to reproduce, giving further, effectively identical stem cells. In this way, a stable laboratory culture is obtained. Such maintained cell lines can be stored in dedicated stem cell banks, and can be made available to researchers.

Embryonic stem cells (ES cells) were first isolated in 1998 and stable ES cell lines have begun to be acquired by researchers. ES cells appear to be highly potent and as might be expected, appear to have great potential to form a wide range of tissues. However, compared to those from mice, human ES cells are not easy to work with.

Stem cell based treatments, such as the use of bone marrow and cord blood, are part of mainstream medical practice for diseases such as leukaemia. Work on other adult stem cells, foetal and ES cells is at the research stage. The Government already supports research using all sources of stem cells which is aimed at finding ways of producing stem cell lines that can be used to develop tissue cells - a first step on the road towards developing new treatments for serious diseases such as Parkinson's, heart failure, cancers and so forth.

Alongside embryonic stem cell research, the Government has called on research bodies to support work using stem cells from adult tissue and cord blood. It agrees with the majority scientific opinion that it is too early to know where major breakthroughs will come and hence wishes to see all relevant research proceed.

A practical outcome of this approach is the new UK Stem Cell Bank - funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) - which will act as a library for cell lines derived from a number of sources and will make these cells available for researchers. It will include not only cells from embryos donated by couples who no longer needed them for their infertility treatment, but also foetal and adult stem cells. The UK Stem Cell Bank has been established at the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC), and is subject to governance committees responsible for developing Codes of Practice.

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