In addition to making these seven lines available, the UMMS Human Stem Cell Bank has entered an agreement to bank a catalog of as many as 80 stem cell lines with limited availability (lines 1-17 have been and are still available to the research community) from the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, a scientific collaborative of stem cell scientists at Harvard University and other institutions. "This agreement allows us access to the stem cell lines developed by members of Harvard's Stem Cell Institute for the purposes of banking and distribution," said Laning. "We believe that over time, a majority of these lines will be made available to the research community through the UMMS Human Stem Cell Bank."

Working in conjunction with the Bank, the International Stem Cell Registry offers a searchable, comprehensive online database that includes published and validated unpublished information on human embryonic stem cell lines derived worldwide. Since its inception less than three years ago, the Registry has rapidly expanded and evolved to become the premier source among scientists for stem cell information. To date, more than 10,000 online visitors worldwide have accessed the database.

The Registry includes information on the derivation, availability and characteristics for more than 1,200 hESC and iPS cell lines developed in over 22 different countries, including more than 200 cell lines with genetic disorders. In addition, the curators of the Registry have developed a unique, searchable database of over 1,600 citations that are indexed by cell line name.

An early component of Governor Deval Patrick's 10-year, $1 billion Life Sciences Initiative, the UMMS Human Stem Cell Bank and Registry were established in 2008 in conjunction with the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. Since then, the Center has committed nearly $9.4 million to the Bank and Registry, helping to position Massachusetts at the forefront of stem cell research. Housed at the Medical School's Shrewsbury campus, it occupies a 15,000-square-foot facility with research and training space.

Source: University of Massachusetts Medical School