Want China Times, Staff Reporter 2014-06-04
The global stem cell industry has had a potential market value of about US$80 billion over the past two years, and is expected to reach around US$400 billion by the year 2020, the Shanghai-based National Business Daily reports, citing unnamed industry experts. China's stem cell industry has been widely touted as having bright prospects despite unclear policy, the report said.
A volunteer talks to a man about stem cell donation in Qinhuangdao, Hebei province, April 11. (File photo/Xinhua) |
The global stem cell industry has had a potential market value of about US$80 billion over the past two years, and is expected to reach around US$400 billion by the year 2020, the Shanghai-based National Business Daily reports, citing unnamed industry experts. China's stem cell industry has been widely touted as having bright prospects despite unclear policy, the report said.
On the
Nasdaq, stem cell-concept shares have total market value exceeding US$30
billion. On China's A-share markets, Zhongyuan Union Stem Cell Bio-Engineering
Corp is performing better than expected, while AVIC Capital Company and Tianjin
Jinbin Development Company have been indirectly involved in stem cell
investments.
Currently,
China has formed comparatively complete stem cell production chains, including
upstream businesses such as providing stem cell collection and storage, and downstream
businesses in offering stem cell isolation, amplification and other technical
services. The stem cell storage industry has even seen tough competition.
The
competition is seen as normal as the stem cell industry has a high gross profit
margin of more than 70%, experts said. The competition will help reshuffle the
industry, said Wang Libin, director of Ningxia Medical University General
Hospital's Stem Cell Research Institute.
Stem cells
are undifferentiated biological cells that can be differentiated into
specialized cells and can divide to produce more stem cells. They are generally
found in multi-cellular organisms. The main sources of stem cells are embryos,
placenta and its appendages, autologous bone marrow and peripheral blood, of
which embryo-originated stem cells are most active and have the highest hopes
of being used in disease treatment, Wang said.
In
Chongqing alone, nearly 10 stem cell storage companies have been established,
insiders said.
Beauty
treatment will be a key direction for the application of stem cells. Zhongyuan
Union said it plans to introduce some end products for beauty treatment,
according to the government policy.
As the
government has yet to approve any stem-cell beauty treatment items, members of
the public should be aware of what is injected into their bodies — some
substances may have side effects, Wang said.
On the
other hand, the government has yet to prohibit businesses from conducting
stem-cell beauty treatment, therefore, these institutions are not illegal operations,
insiders said.
Experts and
industry insiders including Wang are all optimistic for the stem cell
industry's future prospects despite the current disorderly state of operations.
They are urging the government to set up a clear supervisory policy and to
legislate for the industry.
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