In South Korea, pioneering geneticist Hwang Woo Suk of the University of Seoul announced plans to open a World Stem Cell Bank by the end of the year. The bank would serve as a repository for current stem cell lines, allowing medical researchers to access cells that match patient's immune systems. Hwang told the Associated Press the effort should be an international project.
Meanwhile, in the US, lawmakers in Massachusetts and Connecticut approved legislation that would officially encourage stem cell research. The Massachusetts law, which passed over Gov. Mitt Romney's veto, loosens restrictions which had hampered researchers. The Connecticut law authorizes $100 million in funding for stem cell projects.
- see this story from The Washington Post on the world stem cell bank
- see this story from the Boston Globe on stem cell research