Biobanking of human pluripotent stem cells in China

In recent years, significant progress has been made internationally in the development of human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)‐derived products for serious and widespread disorders. Biobanking of the cellular starting materials is a crucial component in the delivery of safe and regulatory compliant cell therapies. In China, key players in these developments have been the recently launched National Stem Cell Resource Center (NSCRC) and its partner organizations in Guangzhou and Shanghai who together, have more than 600 hPSC lines formally recorded in the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology's stem cell registry. In addition, 47 of these hPSCs have also been registered with the hPSCreg project which means they are independently certified for use in European Commission funded research projects. The NSCRC are currently using their own cell lines to manufacture eight different cell types qualified for clinical use, that are being used in nine clinical studies for different indications. The Institute of Zoology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOZ‐CAS) has worked with NSCRC to establish Chinese and international standards in stem cell research. IOZ‐CAS was also a founding partner in the International Stem Cell Banking Initiative which brings together key stem cell banks to agree minimum standards for the provision of pluripotent stem cells for research and clinical use. Here, we describe recent developments in China in the establishment of hPSCs for use in the manufacture of cell therapies and the significant national and international coordination which has now been established to promote the translation of Chinese hPSC‐based products into clinical use according to national and international standards.