Internationaliser des standards, mettre en banque avec confiance: La mise en banque de cellules souches dans trois systèmes nationaux

This article discusses the international movement of human embryonic stem cell lines through stem cell banks. It draws upon two research projects. This first is a three year study of the 'UK Stem Cell Bank' that also focuses upon the equivalent bank in Spain. The second is a study documenting the supply chain of stem cell lines in India. Our article focuses upon the role of trust in several aspects of stem cell banking work: (i) decision making about the ethical correctness of accepting a human embryonic stem cell line into the bank, (ii) sharing information about the technical issues of culturing cells in a high specification laboratory, and (iii) the movement of stem cells across national boundaries. These issues are analysed by highlighting the interaction between 'systems' and 'interpersonal' trust. We conclude by considering the work of the International Stem Cell Banking Initiative and the challenges of standardizing or harmonizing practice between countries.