title: The UK Stem Cell Bank: a UK government-funded, international resource center for stem cell research.
abstract: The UK Stem Cell Bank is a UK Research Council-funded initiative that aims to provide ethically sourced and quality controlled stocks of cells for researchers and also establish seed stocks of cell lines for clinical trials. Whilst the Bank is prohibited from carrying out basic stem cell research (to avoid conflicts of interest) it is working to improve stem cell banking procedures including cryopreservation, characterization and quality control. The Bank also supports training activities and has provided the hub for the International Stem Cell Initiative, which includes 17 expert stem cell centers aiming to characterize a large number of human embryonic stem cell lines in a standardized way to improve our understanding of the characteristics of these cells.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, South Mimms, Potters Bar, Herts., UK. gstacey@nibsc.ac.uk
authors.forename: Glyn
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stacey
authors.forename: Charles J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Hunt
mesh_terms: D018070:Biological Specimen Banks / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000639:trends; D035843:Biomedical Research; D003254:Consumer Advocacy; D005544:Forecasting; D006078:Government Programs / Q000191:economics; D006295:Health Resources; D006801:Humans; D007324:Institutional Management Teams; D038622:Internationality; D013234:Stem Cells; D006113:United Kingdom