Standards in stem cell research(all the factors that contribute to produ...)

Date:7/17/2008

all the factors that contribute to producing successful stem cell lines remains elusive. "Scientists often explain that their laboratory produces successful human embryonic stem cell lines because their laboratory uses the factor X when they grow them or its lab technicians have green fingers," says Dr Lena Eriksson of the research team.

Some researchers prefer not to develop standards as these will constrain the science and may close off promising areas of research. "Others argue that it is simply futile," explains Lena Eriksson. "Can you standardise how all children sleep by giving them the same bed, sheet and blanket? Of course not. So why bother standardising the materials of stem cell production when other differences such as donor history and derivation methods are so complex, manifold and, to date, largely unknown?"

However, the research shows most stem cell scientists are keen to collaborate on the technical side as they feel this is necessary in order to move the field as a whole forward. The research team followed one particularly successful effort the International Stem Cell Initiative that adopted a multi-sited experimental approach in which a large number of stem cell lines were analysed and compared.

Because of the imprecise nature of the manual laboratory work, standardisation opens a potential market for automation technologies to be introduced into human embryonic stem cell laboratories. Yet the research shows this also brings tensions. By attracting businesses keen to become suppliers of laboratory material for this emerging market, the expense of such equipment as well as the skills and staff needed to operate it may exclude small laboratories. Even those that can afford to meet the costs have reservations about the robustness of stem cells to withstand the automation process. The relationship between standards, automation and stem cell quality will be key to the future scale-up of the field and so its clinical appl
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Contact: Danielle Moore PressOffice@esrc.ac.uk 44-017-934-13122 Economic & Social Research Council Source:Eurekalert

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