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The Northern Echo, 21 November 2006A £4M stem cell "factory" is nearing completion in the region.
The revolutionary medical facility in Newcastle will mean Britain leads the world in stem cell research.
It will enable scientists to produce various stem cells that can be put into humans following further research and development.
It is hoped the first production of stem cells will be in the spring.
Project manager Martin Cox said: "We are about to get one of the world's leading stem cell facilities.
"We will be able to work on the whole range of types of stem cells - embryonic, cord blood and adult.
"It is one of the biggest in the world and certainly the biggest in the UK.
"It is yet another example that we are leading the way in a medical revolution."
The facility at the Centre for Life, in Newcastle, is the largest in the UK and one of the biggest of its kind in the world.
Funded by One NorthEast, the facility is split into two - a smaller area for the NHS and a larger facility at Newcastle University.
Two Newcastle University scientists have recently managed to grow mini livers using stem cells taken from umbilical cords.
Other researchers have made great strides in treatments for killer diseases such as leukaemia and immune deficiency disorders.
Stem cell research is still very much in its infancy and huge amounts of finance are needed to take it further.
UK Stem Cell Foundation chief executive David Macauley said: "There is a unique opportunity for us in this country in that we are leading the world in this area.
"There is an exciting centre of excellence emerging in the North-East. But the window of opportunity is closing and the time for action is now. We need investment."
Barry Nelson, Health Editor
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