SHANGHAI will launch a three-year trial study to determine the best way to collect stem cell samples from potential donors, officials from the local branch of the Red Cross Society of China said yesterday.

The study, which will involve collecting 6,000 samples from medical staff, university students and ordinary residents, will examine the merits of collecting samples using the new cheek-swabbing method, which is considered easier and less invasive, versus the traditional intravenous blood method.

The results of the trial will be used as guidance by health authorities across China, officials said. "The cheek swab, or buccal swab, is the major method used in developed countries, but it is still new in China," said Teng Guixiang, a local Red Cross official.