Stepping up its commitment to researching the potential of cells harvested from human embryos, China has announced plans to construct what it says will be the largest stem cell technology laboratory in Asia.
China sees the development of stem cell and regenerative medicine as ripe for expansion. Stem cell research, while increasingly promising against a host of diseases, has been stymied in the United States by on again off again regulatory prohibitions into using embryos. But the research has not been a subject of controversy in China.
Launched in December, the plan is to build the laboratory in the city of Taizhou, in Jiangsu province, where many pharmaceutical and medical firms are based.