15 registered stem cell lines and counting

Guest blogger Geoff Lomax
Senior Officer to the Standards Working Group

CIRM reached an important milestone with the recent registration of a 15th human embryonic stem cell line created with institute funding. (Here is a description of how researchers create human embryonic stem cell lines.) In approving Proposition 71, the citizens of California entrusted CIRM to support safe and responsible stem cell research. A major early accomplishment for the institute was the development of standards requiring review and oversight of work involving stem cell line derivation. Here is a list of all CIRM registered lines.

The registration process it a testament to CIRM’s grantees commitment to these standards. To be eligible for registration, a responsible official must certify the line was created under a protocol that meets CIRM’s exacting requirements for review, informed consent and voluntary donation. In addition, the research team must certify the approved protocol was followed. This dual certification serves to put researchers and oversight officials on the same page – both literally and figuratively. The result is a common understanding of expectations throughout the research community.

Registration also supports the sharing of cell lines. Cell lines derived according our requirements are automatically eligible for use by CIRM-funded researchers. This process addresses a longstanding need of our grantees – the creation of a list of eligible hESC lines.

The latest lines were created at the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at the University of California, Los Angeles. UCLA is currently working on an agreement for the distribution of the lines to outside researchers. UCLA will distribute the lines to outside investigators who provide evidence their research is approved by an appropriate research oversight committee. It is great to see UCLA taking steps to advance responsible stem cell research.

G.L.