WiCell and ACT to supply new stem cell lines to US researchers

USA-based WiCell, a non-profit organization focused on advancing stem-cell research, and Californian biotechnology firm Advanced Cell Technology, have announced an agreement under which they will distribute new stem cell lines to US research scientists. ACT explained that a new technique, details of which were published in the journal Nature, will be used to produce the cells, provided the federal government recognizes and funds research that utilizes them.

The cell lines in question are produced via pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, which is able to derive stem cells (hES) from human blastomeres, without harming the embryo donor. The approach is currently used in in vitro fertilization to assess the genetic health of embryos but could, the firms believe, provide hES for research purposes.

Under the terms of the deal, WiCELL, a subsidiary of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, would distribute the cell lines, assuming that stem cell research is approved by US President George W Bush and the National Institutes of Health.