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09/01/2004:

"SA to set up Africa's first stem cell bank"

South Africa's Lazaron Biotechnologies announced on Wednesday that it would set up Africa's first stem cell bank, bringing the country to the forefront of a controversial area of medical research.

The private company - linked to the University of Stellenbosch and 25 percent owned by JD Holdings - said it would harvest cells from a baby's umbilical cord for research and treatment of a range of diseases.

"The limited option already exists to store stem cells abroad, and we took the decision to offer this opportunity to the broader spectrum of the South African population," Lazaron chief executive Daniel Barry said in a statement.

Full Article : iol.co.za