Mission Statement
The UK Stem Cell Bank works with and for the scientific and clinical community to assure the quality of human stem cell lines used in research and therapy. More....
Cell Lines currently available
The lines currently available are: Shef-1, Shef-2, Shef-3, Shef-6, Shef-7, hES-NCL-1, KCL-003, Nott 1, Nott 2, NCL-2, NCL-3, NCL-4, NCL-5 and MEL-1 are now listed in the Stem Cell Catalogue.
Applications to access the lines from the Bank should be made to the UK Steering Committee. Application forms are available via the MRC website.
Announcement on stem cell lines in the
NIH registry
The Steering Committee is satisfied that the majority of stem cell lines in the USA National Institutes for Health (NIH) registry are ethically sourced, and therefore can be imported into the UK. However, it has recently come to the Committee's attention that the consent procedures for lines BG01, BG02 and BG03 may not meet the high standards required for acceptance into the Bank and for use in the UK.
Regulatory Route Map for Stem Cell Lines
An Interim UK Regulatory Route Map for Stem Cell Research & Manufacture has been developed by key stakeholders. It is intended to be a reference tool for those who wish to develop a programme of stem cell research and manufacture, ultimately leading to clinical application. The map has been developed by the Department of Health with the support of the Gene Therapy Advisory Committee, Health & Safety Executive, Home Office, Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority, Human Tissue Authority, Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, Medical Research Council, NHS Blood & Transplant Authority, Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service, Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues & Organs, & the UK Stem Cell Bank. The map
NIH Publishes new Guidelines for Human Stem Cell Research.
On March 9, 2009, President Barack H. Obama issued Executive Order (EO)13505 Removing Barriers to Responsible Scientific Research Involving Human Stem Cells. The NIH published draft Guidelines for research involving hESCs in the Federal Register for public comment, 74 Fed. Reg. 18578 on April 23, 2009. The comment period ended on May 26, 2009 and the NIH has now published its guidelines. These Guidelines are effective on July 7, 2009 and can be found at http://stemcells.nih.gov/policy/2009guidelines.htm