Scientists, clinicians, business leaders, ethicists, educators, and stem cell professionals from across the globe gathered to discuss the latest in stem cell science discovery and application. But instead of roaming the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, Boston, USA, as planned, close to 4,000 members of the global stem cell community gathered around their computers, tablets, or mobile screens to share their discoveries, participate in workshops, network with colleagues, and advance their careers. Attendees were able to take in over 300 presentations and easily message speakers – all while skipping a long flight and wearing their favorite slippers.

The ISSCR writes UK agency to urge for increased enforcement activities to prevent the marketing and commercialization of stem cell-related products.

The ISSCR issues a comment letter urging that more efforts must be made to prevent the ClinicalTrials.gov database from being abused by clinics marketing unproven stem cell interventions.

We are looking forward to seeing all of you at the ISSCR annual meeting 23-27 June in Boston, US and to delivering an exceptional annual meeting. Even as the Society is immersed in preparations for ISSCR 2020, we remain acutely aware that our members may be personally and professionally affected by COVID-19, just as so many individuals and communities are across the world.

While stem cell research shows promise for numerous diseases and conditions, there currently are no approved stem cell-based approaches for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 infection.

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.