The Tokyo District Court has seized human cell strains that were used as collateral on loans and will have them auctioned at the end of this month, judiciary sources said Thursday.
A legal expert said this will probably be the first auction in Japan of human cell strains.
The human cell strains -- obtained from dozens of people -- were seized in July from the headquarters of the Japan Human Cell Society in Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo, by court officials, according to the sources and a court notice.