Press Releases & Advisories

There has been a convergence of technologies around stem cell research that are dramatically increasing our understanding of developmental biology, human disease, and how to regenerate damaged tissue. Cutting edge technological advancements in computational biology, machine learning, single cell sequencing, gene editing, and organoids are being harnessed by stem cell researchers to accelerate their discoveries and move them towards the clinic. These revolutionary advances will be in the spotlight from 24-27 June, 2020, at the largest stem cell meeting in the world— the ISSCR 2020 Annual Meeting in Boston, U.S.

The ISSCR submitted comments to Brazil’s health regulatory agency (ANVISA) regarding the proposed regulations for advanced therapy medicinal products that urge national governments to “maintain rigorous review pathways to ensure that stem cell-based products conform to the highest standards of evidence-based medicine.”

Polices created by legislators and regulators can have a profound impact on stem cell and biomedical research and the development of new treatments. The ISSCR has been working on several fronts to advocate for responsible stem cell research and its application. Read more about the recent ISSCR-led fly in to Washington D.C. for discussions with government officials and our consultations with Google to prevent the marketing of unproven stem cell therapies.

The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) today released the following statement regarding Google’s new policy that bans advertisements from unproven stem cell clinics and other speculative medical interventions.

The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) today released a professional standard of informed consent for stem cell-based interventions performed outside of formal clinical trials, such as the unapproved and unproven “treatments” offered by clinicians at direct-to-consumer clinics. The standard is meant to help ensure that patients are informed about the potential benefits and risks of stem cell-based medical interventions, and was developed with input from clinicians, ethicists, researchers, and regulators from around the world.

As stem cell researchers, we are in a unique position to make real and meaningful impacts in the world. During my time as ISSCR President my goal, beyond serving ISSCR’s role as the main convener of stem cell science, is to strengthen the society’s voice and influence by expanding on our global policy initiatives and helping foster industry-academic partnerships to accelerate the safe and effective clinical translation of stem cell research.

Nearly 4,000 scientists, physicians, and stem cell professionals from across the globe gathered at the ISSCR 2019 Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, CA, a vibrant city with world-class stem cell research, to share their discoveries, enhance their careers, and inspire their science.

We asked Naomi Koh Belic, a PhD candidate from the University of Technology Sydney, for her perspective as a trainee attending the ISSCR Annual Meeting for the third year. Naomi shares some highlights and tips from ISSCR2019 in Los Angeles.

The ISSCR is pleased to announce Deepak Srivastava, MD, Gladstone Institutes, as the incoming president of the ISSCR and its board of directors. Srivastava assumed the post immediately following the 17th ISSCR Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, 26-29 June, 2019.

The ISSCR honored longtime member Lawrence Goldstein for his years of science policy advocacy, and announced a new program in his name that will train ISSCR members to become stem cell policy advocates. The tribute and introduction of the Lawrence Goldstein Science Policy Fellowship program was part of the opening plenary session of the ISSCR annual meeting, 26-29 in Los Angeles, Calif., U.S.

The International Society for Stem Cell Research annual meeting, 26-29 June at the Los Angeles Convention Center, will bring together more than 3,500 scientists, bioethicists, clinicians, industry professionals, and others from over 50 countries to share the latest developments in stem cell science and regenerative medicine.

The ISSCR and other medical, scientific, educational, and healthcare groups sent a letter to members of the U.S. Congress supporting an amendment that would prevent the implementation of a new policy to restrict and delay federal funding for fetal tissue research.

The ISSCR commends the U.S. District Court ruling that confirms the FDA’s authority to regulate clinics marketing and selling unproven therapies as stem cell products. The clinic, U.S. Stem Cell, has injected cells derived from fat into the eyes of several patients, resulting in at least three being blinded.

The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR), the largest professional organization of stem cell researchers from around the world, opposes the new U.S. Health and Human Services policy to eliminate federal funding for fetal tissue research in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) intramural research program. This research has long been viewed as good public policy to improve human health and has proceeded with public support.

The ISSCR has submitted comments to China's National Medical Products Administration regarding China's draft regulations for the Management of Clinical Research and Transformation Applications for Somatic Cell Therapy.

The annual meeting can be overwhelming, with new scientific discoveries to learn about and colleagues to meet. We asked two trainee members, Kimberley Babos and Louise Menendez, for their thoughts about how they plan ahead to ensure they make the most out of their time at the meeting.

The ISSCR welcomes the new policy guidance from Health Canada that clarifies the regulation of autologous cell products in Canada. The new policy guidance aligns Canada’s regulations with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s 2017 Regenerative Medicine Framework and the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration’s 2018 Autologous human cell and tissue product regulations.

A wide variety of motivations propel us to pursue science careers at the bench or in industry. Often as young adults we’re driven by curiosity and the desire to understand why things work the way they do. One key motivator for many of us is the potential to have a real impact on the lives of patients and their families.

The Appropriations Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives has approved a $2 billion increase for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and defeated an amendment that would have prohibited federal funding for fetal tissue research.

Stem cell research is leading to potential new therapies to treat disease, with several applications in clinical trials or expected to enter trials in the coming months. These new discoveries are transforming how we think of medicine and will be key to discussions at the International Society for Stem Cell Research annual meeting, 26-29 June at the Los Angeles Convention Center.