NIH accepts new human embryonic stem cell lines

By Geoff Lomax

The NIH has accepted three new human embryonic stem cell lines, created by CIRM grantee Amander Clark at UCLA. According to the UCLA press release:

“The addition of the three human embryonic stem cells lines to the registry brings the total number of lines available for federal funding to 64, NIH officials said. Another 100 lines are pending approval. UCLA is one of only nine institutions in the world with stem cell lines admitted to the NIH registry.”

All lines were created from blastocysts left over from IVF treatments and would otherwise have been discarded. (You can read more about how the lines are created in this CIRM Stem Cell Basics page.)

In this video, Clark describes the process of creating new lines:

It is reassuring to know that the standards CIRM developed in 2006 for hESC derivation are acceptable in the rigorous NIH policy context. This approval is important because it signals that our grantees are well positioned to support research nationally by registering cell lines derived with CIRM funding.

Geoff Lomax is Senior Officer to the CIRM Standards Working Group, which developed CIRM’s stem cell derivation regulations.