California Stem-Cell Agency Shuts Biobank, Sells Samples at Cut-Rate Prices

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine is closing the human stem-cell biobank it has operated for a decade and is rapidly selling off its inventory of induced pluripotent stem cells. The repository, once the world’s largest, contains thousands of lines derived from healthy donors and patients with conditions ranging from Alzheimer’s disease to autism and lung disorders. CIRM decided to wind down the facility after concluding that maintenance costs outweighed demand from researchers. To clear the shelves before many samples are discarded, the agency has slashed prices: academic laboratories that previously paid $750 per vial, and companies that paid $1,500, can now buy certain cell lines for as little as $225 when purchased in bulk. Scientists say the fire-sale offers a fleeting opportunity to acquire valuable materials that enable studies of disease mechanisms and drug development. Once the inventory is depleted or discarded, no immediate replacement biobank is planned, raising concerns about future access to standardized iPSC resources.