stem cell
science
in discovery. in human health.
forums
that bring us together.
Join us in San Francisco, USA for the most comprehensive gathering in stem cell research.
15-18 June 2027
Join us in Copenhagen, Denmark for the most comprehensive gathering in stem cell research.
27-30 June 2028
guidance
and foresight
that shape the field.
The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) is developing a new CDMO Directory, a web-based resource designed to help Society members identify contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) with capabilities relevant to their research and clinical translation needs.
Led by the ISSCR Manufacturing, Clinical Translation, and Regulatory (MCTR) Committee, the directory is intended to help bridge the gap between researchers and manufacturers by consolidating key information about participating CDMOs in one centralized resource. The directory will be available to the ISSCR’s nearly 5,000 members across the world staring on 19 October.
CDMOs may participate in the directory by completing a questionnaire developed to capture information researchers consider important when selecting a manufacturing partner. Responses are used to populate each organization’s profile. Through the CDMO Directory, the ISSCR is providing researchers moving toward clinical translation with a practical resource for exploring manufacturing capabilities and beginning conversations with potential partners.
On 1 September, the ISSCR submitted comments to the Food and Drug Administration’s draft guidance for Leveraging Prior Knowledge in the Development of Human Gene Therapy Products Incorporating Genome Editing. ISSCR supports FDA’s desire to share the Agency’s current thinking on the type of prior knowledge (i.e., public and platform knowledge) that may be scientifically appropriate to leverage to advance product development.
The ISSCR submitted comments on proposed regulations from the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) that would reshape how the U.S. federal government funds scientific research. Among other changes, the proposed regulations would de-emphasize merit-based review of scientific grant applications and instead establish a political review process, enable mid-stream grant cancellations without cause, and place restrictions or significant bureaucratic burdens on international research collaborations. As outlined in the comment letter, these proposed changes would have harmful impacts to the progress of stem cell research and its translation to the clinic. Given this, the ISSCR respectfully urged OMB to withdraw the proposed regulations.
research
published here first.
Stem Cell Reports is an open access forum communicating basic discoveries in stem cell research, in addition to translational and clinical studies. Stem Cell Reports focuses on manuscripts that report original research with conceptual or practical advances that are of broad interest to stem cell biologists and clinicians.
members
who move us forward.
5,000 members
80+ countries represented
Because my work spans several fields, I can sometimes feel like an outsider. The ISSCR is the exception. It was the first scientific society I joined, and it remains the one where I feel most fully at home, both scientifically and personally. I deeply value the community I have come to know through the society, and I am eager to help ensure its continued success.
What I value most about ISSCR is the global, multidisciplinary community. Stem cell science advances quickly, but translation to patients requires shared standards, open discussion, ethical reflection, and international trust.
ISSCR provides an unparalleled global community and evolving standards that bring together scientific excellence, ethical leadership, and collaboration. I value the society’s role in educating patients and convening international dialogue at conferences and symposiums.
ISSCR provides an unparalleled global community and evolving standards that bring together scientific excellence, ethical leadership, and collaboration. I value the society’s role in educating patients and convening international dialogue at conferences and symposiums.
ISSCR provides an essential forum for exchanging ideas across disciplines and career stages. I value the society’s commitment to rigor, education, and thoughtful discussion about the future of stem cell research. It’s a community that consistently pushes the field forward.
ISSCR provides an unparalleled global community and evolving standards that bring together scientific excellence, ethical leadership, and collaboration. I value the society’s role in educating patients and convening international dialogue at conferences and symposiums.
news
and voices
that keep us connected.
In 2006, Kazutoshi Takahashi and Shinya Yamanaka at Kyoto University published their landmark paper showing that mouse skin cells could be reprogrammed to an embryonic-like state using just four transcription factors. Over the past two decades, this finding has taken the field of stem cell research in many new directions, opening new ways to study human development, understand and engineer cell fate, model disease, and explore new stem cell–based approaches to medicine. As part of the 20th anniversary celebration of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, we invite leaders in the field to reflect on how the discovery of iPS cells has impacted their own research and the field of stem cell research and its applications more broadly. Together, their stories offer personal insights into how iPS cells have changed stem cell research forever.
The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) is developing a new CDMO Directory, a web-based resource designed to help Society members identify contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) with capabilities relevant to their research and clinical translation needs.
Led by the ISSCR Manufacturing, Clinical Translation, and Regulatory (MCTR) Committee, the directory is intended to help bridge the gap between researchers and manufacturers by consolidating key information about participating CDMOs in one centralized resource. The directory will be available to the ISSCR’s nearly 5,000 members across the world staring on 19 October.
CDMOs may participate in the directory by completing a questionnaire developed to capture information researchers consider important when selecting a manufacturing partner. Responses are used to populate each organization’s profile. Through the CDMO Directory, the ISSCR is providing researchers moving toward clinical translation with a practical resource for exploring manufacturing capabilities and beginning conversations with potential partners.
Join now and receive immediate access to ISSCR member benefits through the end of 2027
The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) has opened membership for 2027, with a major new initiative designed to expand access to the global stem cell community. Student membership is now just $1 USD for students studying in low- and middle-income countries, as defined by the World Bank.
The new membership rate reflects the ISSCR’s commitment to supporting the future of stem cell science by making it easier for students around the world to connect with the research, people, and opportunities that can help shape their scientific careers. Through the ISSCR, students can learn from leaders across the field, showcase their own research, build relationships with scientists from around the world, and become part of the global community as they continue their education and pursue careers in stem cell science and regenerative medicine.
Individuals who join or renew now for 2027 begin enjoying the benefits immediately, providing access for the remainder of 2026 and throughout 2027.
Nominations are now open for the 2027 ISSCR Board of Directors and the Society’s annual awards.
The strength of the ISSCR comes from the expertise, perspectives, and contributions of its global community. This fall, members have two important opportunities to engage with the Society – helping to shape its future leadership and recognizing individuals and groups whose contributions are advancing stem cell science and the field.
Nominations for both opportunities are due on 16 October 2026.
Leading researchers bring expertise in hematopoietic and muscle stem cells to the ISSCR’s open access peer-reviewed journal
The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) announces the appointment of Dominique Bonnet, Ph.D., and Frederic Relaix, Ph.D., as Associate Editors of Stem Cell Reports, the official journal of the ISSCR.
Drs. Bonnet and Relaix bring internationally recognized expertise spanning hematopoietic and muscle stem cell biology, development, regeneration, disease modeling, and translational research. Their appointments further strengthen the journal’s editorial expertise across fundamental and disease-focused stem cell research.
Stem cell researchers have identified inflammatory pathways that may play a key role in driving kidney damage in diabetic kidney disease (DKD), pointing to potential new approaches for protecting the kidneys. Using stem cell-derived kidney organoids, Benjamin Freedman and colleagues from the University of Washington, USA, found that exposure to high sugar levels triggered inflammation and disrupted the organoids’ typical kidney tissue-like structure, causing individual kidney cells to detach. These changes were reminiscent of those observed in kidney biopsies and urine samples from patients with DKD. The research was published today in the peer-reviewed journal, Stem Cell Reports.
On 1 September, the ISSCR submitted comments to the Food and Drug Administration’s draft guidance for Leveraging Prior Knowledge in the Development of Human Gene Therapy Products Incorporating Genome Editing. ISSCR supports FDA’s desire to share the Agency’s current thinking on the type of prior knowledge (i.e., public and platform knowledge) that may be scientifically appropriate to leverage to advance product development.
The enteric nervous system (ENS) is an intricate network of neurons and glia lining the gastrointestinal tract, regulating digestion and overall health. Loss of ENS neurons, as occurs in Hirschsprung disease, leads to intestinal obstruction, and treatment options remain limited. One therapeutic approach for the disease is stimulating resident stem cells to regenerate the ENS, and another is through cell therapy to replace the missing cells — but significant challenges remain in translating either one into treatments. Our guests today think about ENS repair through these two complementary lenses using zebrafish and stem cell-derived ENS neurons. Together, their work deepens our understanding of how the ENS develops, matures, and regenerates, and lays the groundwork for future therapies.
“It’s unlikely that one person or one lab will solve a problem as big as degenerative diseases...It takes a community of people in an area to solve a big problem.”
— Doug Melton, PhD | ISSCR Founding Member and Vertex Pharmaceuticals Distinguished Fellow
The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has proposed a new rule titled “Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance” that will significantly reshape how the U.S. government funds and manages scientific research, including international collaborations, through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other agencies. All ISSCR members, regardless of whether you are U.S.-based or not, are eligible to provide comment on the proposed policy.
Though the rule is extensive and applies to all federal grantmaking, there are several areas where input from our community is critical.