UK launches national stem cell network
The UK has launched a new network to coordinate and promote the country's stem cell research effort. By coordinating the work of the various disciplines working on stem cell research, the new UK National Stem Cell Network (UKNSCN) hopes to enhance basic research and increase the rate at which research results are translated into new therapies for diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and diabetes. The body also hopes to become the voice of stem cell research within the UK, and the first port of call for foreign researchers interested in collaborating with British stem cell scientists. The network was set up in response to a government review which called for an organisation to unite the various sub-disciplines of stem cell science in the UK. It will be funded by the four UK research councils working in the area and will link up the already existing regional stem cell networks. 'The UK is one of the world's leading nations for stem cell science but we have to ensure that as we move closer to real applications to help patients that all our scientists are pulling together in a coordinated effort,' commented Lord Naren Patel of Dunkeld, the first chair of the UKNSCN Steering Committee. 'The Network will work with the researchers, the health service and industry to help turn first class research in the labs into therapies for patients in our hospitals.' Speaking at the launch event in London, UK Science Minister Malcolm Wicks said: 'Stem cell research is an area which offers the potential to provide cures for some of our most debilitating diseases, which affect so many families. The UKNSCN offers a great chance for experts to work together, sharing knowledge and technology across the research community.'
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