Latest news reveals about the opening of new stem cell bank at UMass with a state grant of $7.7 million. This bank in its initial stage will be used as an inventory, which can hold more than 100 types of stem cells.

This bank has increased the hope of organizers, and the researchers as this will act as a storage cum distributor for stem cells. Starting Wednesday, the bank will begin accepting embryonic stem cell “deposits,” the first step in eventually making cells available to researchers.

Dr. Leonard I. Zon, director of the Children’s Hospital Stem Cell Program in Boston says that, Massachusetts is the biggest producer of embryonic stem cells in the world, yet keeping the cells going requires expertise and labor-intensive work. The UMass bank could take over that work from researchers and help them in providing the same back to the researchers when required.

And so keeping this in mind we have launched this UMass bank which will act as a international repository providing a stem cell registry- an online collection of information about known stem cell lines around the world. Moreover it will also help in spurring the research and economic growth in the state, says Dr. Terence R. Flotte, dean of UMass Medical School.

Source: http://www.telegram.com/