“ISSCR Guidelines for Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation” have been updated and are available online on May 26, 2021.

International experts on stem cells, ethics, and the law, including Dr Mitinori Saitou (Director/PI of ASHBi), Dr Misao Fujita (PI/Professor of ASHBi) and Dr Jun Takahashi (PI/Professor of the Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University) were involved in updating the guidelines.

The new guidelines address new research areas such as “stem cell-based embryo models,” “chimeric and chimeric embryos,” “organoids,” “research on human embryos beyond 14 days,” “genome editing of germ cells,” and “mitochondrial replacement technology”. It also criticizes the commercial use of stem cell therapies that are still in the unproven stage of effectiveness.