This month’s message is from Martin Pera, Editor-in-Chief of Stem Cell Reports, the ISSCR’s online, open-access journal. The journal was started in 2013 and publishes high-quality, impactful scientific, and translational discoveries in stem cell science.

The ISSCR is updating its Guidelines for Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation to respond to recent scientific advances that include the use of pluripotent stem cell (PSC) to create models of early human embryo development.

The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) is just that, an international organization. We work across the globe to promote excellence in stem cell science and applications to human health. The society advances international initiatives including: policy and advocacy, professional standards, building working relationships to stay abreast of emerging areas of interest, and of course educational meetings.

Susan L. Solomon, JD, chief executive officer and founder of The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) Research Institute is the recipient of the 2020 International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) Public Service Award.

The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) will award the Tobias Lecture Award to Margaret A. (Peggy) Goodell, PhD, Chair of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Director of the Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Center at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, U.S.

The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) will award the Dr. Susan Lim Award for Outstanding Young Investigator to Allon M. Klein, PhD, Associate Professor, Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass., U.S.

The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) present this year’s ISSCR Momentum Award to Mitinori Saitou, MD, Ph.D., Kyoto University, Japan.

The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) will award its inaugural Achievement Award to Fred H. Gage, Ph.D., president of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and the Vi and John Adler Chair for Research on Age-Related Neurodegenerative Disease in Salk’s Laboratory of Genetics, La Jolla, Calif.

The International Society for Stem Cell Research welcomes Kym Kilbourne as Director of Media and Strategic Communications, leading public affairs, education, member engagement, and media relations programs.

Help to shape the future of your society by voting in the 2020 ISSCR Board of Directors election. Together, we offer a collaborative network and powerful resources to help members achieve personal objectives, foster the success of our field and contribute to the betterment of human health. This is your opportunity to make a difference.

The ISSCR and the Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health held a two-day workshop in Guangzhou, China. A small group of scientists and ethicists from around the world met to discuss ethical, scientific, and societal challenges in regenerative medicine.

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.

Stem cell science, its clinical application, and the ethical issues surrounding it have rapidly advanced since the release of the 2016 ISSCR Guidelines for Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation. The latest update will address important scientific, ethical, and regulatory issues, including embryo models, organoids, chimeras, genome editing, and the regulation and economics of cell therapies.

The ISSCR Annual Meetings are the largest stem cell conferences in the world, known for featuring outstanding science. However, an underrecognized yet equally important aspect of the Society is its initiatives to advance the field. Behind the scenes, 22 Board Members, 15 committees, and other volunteers are working to develop and implement important initiatives and resources that enable, support, and promote excellence in stem cell science and its applications to human health.

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.”

The ISSCR led a group of scientists to Washington, DC, U.S. to garner support for policies important to stem cell research and the broader biomedical research community. The scientists met with representatives from 17 Congressional Offices to discuss the protection of fetal tissue research, the need for additional enforcement to curb the marketing and use of unproven products, and the importance of NIH funding for biomedical research.

The ISSCR is pleased to announce the recipients of the inaugural Lawrence Goldstein Policy Fellowship, Mohamed Abou El-Enein, PhD (Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany) and Zubin Master, PhD (Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, U.S.).

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 ISSCR Education Committee is compiling educational resources on stem cell science and its applications to support the teaching needs of our constituents. To help the Education Committee create the course syllabus, we are asking you for examples of your syllabi on courses related to stem cell biology, translational medicine, and clinical applications.

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 ISSCR is soliciting nominations to honor exceptional and innovative research and support for young scientists and the future of the field, through its extensive awards program. It also invites members to nominate candidates to serve on the ISSCR board of directors.

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.

With the rapid growth of the stem cell field and advances in regenerative medicine, it is critically important that researchers earn and retain the public trust. To that end we must operate under agreed-upon guidelines that ensure ethical activities, transparency, and sound science.

In response to draft regulations in China on gene editing and other potentially risky biomedical technologies, the ISSCR has submitted comments to the the country's National Health Commission Medical and Medical Administration Bureau.

The ISSCR supports research using human-animal chimeras conducted under appropriate review and oversight (ISSCR Guidelines Recommendation 2.1.5) and applauds the new Japanese rules enabling research on chimeric embryos.

ISSCR has elected its next leadership slate, with leaders beginning their terms after the 2019 annual meeting. On behalf of all members, we extend congratulations to newly-elected officers Melissa Little, vice president; and Kenneth Zaret, treasurer, and re-appointed board members Marianne Bronner, Valentina Greco, and Arnold Kriegstein.

Each year our annual ISSCR meeting showcases for the world the potential of stem cell science and advances already underway that are changing the face of human healthcare. We highlight the latest innovative research and scientific developments that are propelling the field forward in a variety of ways. ISSCR 2019 in Los Angeles is a terrific opportunity to inspire us with research at the leading-edge of scientific discovery

Top scientists and researchers from academia, medicine, and industry will gather to share groundbreaking stem cell science and its translation to clinical application at the annual meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR), 26-29 June in Los Angeles, Calif.

Scientists play a critical role in advocating for research that is advancing healthcare and biomedicine. In the February edition of Stem Cell Reports, several ISSCR researchers share their answers to the question 'Why is it important to you to support fetal tissue research?'

The ISSCR announces the recipients of its 2019 Award for Innovation, Dr. Susan Lim Award for Outstanding Young Investigator, Tobias Award Lecture, and Public Service Award. Awardees will be recognized at the ISSCR annual meeting, 26-29 June, in Los Angeles, Calif., U.S.

If you’re an enterprising stem cell scientist with exciting work to publish this year, the ISSCR annual meeting in Los Angeles, 26-29 June, is the place to take the stage and showcase your science to colleagues and the field. We’ve developed a new program structure this year that dedicates 15 plenary speaking spots to abstract-selected speakers, to showcase the talents of the next generation of scientists.

Keith Alm joined the ISSCR as chief operating officer in January 2019, after serving as a brand strategist and consultant for the society for nearly a decade. He’s worked with many of the organization's leaders on strategic positioning, communications, and partnerships.

The ISSCR’s support for stem cell science and the field is central to our mission, and we speak up for policies around the world that allow our work to continue and thrive. We also provide background and current understanding about stem cell science to inform decision makers about key issues affecting science and health.

In written and oral testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives Oversight and Government Reform Committee today, former ISSCR president Sally Temple describes fetal tissue research as essential in studying and developing therapies for cancer, HIV, Zika, tuberculous, and other devastating diseases.