A four-day international stem cell symposium organized by the Beijing Biological Engineering Society will open in the Chinese capital on May 24.

Specialists from the United States, Canada and China have been invited to attend the symposium, said Lei Ting, head of the Beijing Center for the Promotion of the Biotechnological and New Medicine Industry.

According to Lei, the symposium will include topics such as stem cell separation, stem cell purification, in-vitro cultivation, assessment, data banks for cloned stem cell files, the clinical uses of stem cells, and the ethics of stem cell research.

Stem cells can change into other types of cells and have the potential to regenerate damaged organs or tissues. Many scientists believe stem cells offer hope for treating degenerative brain diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, as well as diabetes, cancer, heart attacks and spinal injuries.

Chinese scientists have progressed in stem cell research over the past few years and have mastered the technology for separating, purifying, freezing and rejuvenating stem cells from fetal blood. Fetal stem cell banks can now be found in a number of Chinese regions, including Beijing municipality and Shandong and Guangdong provinces.

( April 5, 2002)