Universally accepted characterization standards for pluripotent stem cell research are needed to improve the rigor and reproducibility of stem cell research. As the foremost international stem cell research society with a reputation for scientific and ethical rigor, the ISSCR is uniquely positioned to develop and propose research standards that can be widely adopted worldwide.

The ISSCR’s advocacy on behalf of the stem cell research community around the world, gives researchers a voice in crucial policy and regulatory debates. This valuable work benefits the members of the ISSCR and the stem cell research community and reinforces the society’s leadership representing the interests of our members globally.

Our organizations represent scientific, medical, and patient communities dedicated to advancing medical knowledge and improving human health. We support the continued use of human fetal tissue (HFT) in research because it is an indispensable biomedical research tool crucial for life-saving biomedical research.

The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) today released updated guidelines for stem cell research and its translation to medicine. The update reflects emerging advances including, stem cell-based embryo models, human embryo research, chimeras, organoids, and genome editing.

The scientific community appreciates that the Biden Administration is lifting the arbitrary restrictions on promising biomedical research using human fetal tissue. Fetal tissue is a crucial research tool that has contributed to numerous scientific advances and saved millions of lives. It was critical for the development of vaccines for polio, rubella, measles, chickenpox, and rabies. It remains essential for creating models of the human immune system for studying viral infections from HIV, Zika, coronavirus, and other viruses.