ISSCR Guidelines for Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation: The 2021 update

The International Society for Stem Cell Research has updated its Guidelines for Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation in order to address advances in stem cell science and other relevant fields, together with the associated ethical, social, and policy issues that have arisen since the last update in 2016. While growing to encompass the evolving science, clinical applications of stem cells, and the increasingly complex implications of stem cell research for society, the basic principles underlying the Guidelines remain unchanged, and they will continue to serve as the standard for the field and as a resource for scientists, regulators, funders, physicians, and members of the public, including patients. A summary of the key updates and issues is presented here. The updated Guidelines for Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation describe the ethical principles and best practices for basic, translational, and clinical research involving stem cells and human embryos. The updated Guidelines include new recommendations to address the recent scientific advances involving embryos, stem cell-based embryo models, chimeras, organoids, and genome editing.