Health body to open stem cell bank

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Health body to open stem cell bank

The Korea National Institute of Health (KNIH) will be opening a national stem cell bank today in order to expand stem cell and regenerative medicine research.

The institute stated yesterday that the stem cell bank will provide a repository for human embryonic stem cell lines and also procure stem cell lines and research data through cooperation with countries like the United States and the United Kingdom.

The institute said that the stem cell bank will “abide by bioethical and safety regulations” and will be able to provide researchers with human embryonic stem cells in a timely manner and also provide a network for the stem cell community.

“This is an opportunity to boost faith and reinvigorate the nation’s research in stem cells and regenerative medicine,” expressed the institute.

Regenerative medicine may provide active preventative measures against incurable diseases that do not involve methods like providing support for medical fees after the disease is detected.

“Creating a stem cell is significant evidence that the government is providing infrastructure to support stem cell and regenerative medicine.”

Especially after Japanese scientist Shinya Yamanaka received this year’s Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for creating induced pluripotent stem cells, the KNIH stated it will be able to use the discovery along with the stored stem cell lines to further expand their own research into stem cells.

By Sarah Kim [sarahkim@joongang.co.kr]
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