Cell Bank In Developmental Stages

Advanced Cell Technology Inc has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Scotland-based Roslin Cells Ltd. to create a human embryonic stem cell (hESC) bank that the company said will meet the development and storage standards of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency.

The hESC bank will be available for research and commercial use, the Marlborough-based firm noted Roslin Cells will maintain the stem cell bank and promote access to the hESC lines. The two companies will also make available a commercialisation license, from which Roslin Cells and ACT will split the proceeds, milestone payments and royalty payments. ACT uses its single blastomere technique in obtaining the hESCs. “In stark contrast to embryonic stem cells lines currently available for research, such as those on the NIH registry, our single blastomere technique does not destroy the embryo,” said ACT Chief Scientific Officer Robert Lanza.