Stem Cell Reports
Volume 16, Issue 8, 10 August 2021, Pages 1847-1852
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Commentary
Inclusivity and diversity: Integrating international perspectives on stem cell challenges and potential

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stemcr.2021.07.003Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • An inclusive IAP study examined global stem cell opportunities and challenges

  • Great potential leads to concerns for evidence base in unregulated clinics

  • Also concerns for premature regulatory approval without sufficient evidence

  • Recommendations for responsible research and innovation and collaborations

Summary

Regenerative medicine has great potential. The pace of scientific advance is exciting and the medical opportunities for regeneration and repair may be transformative. However, concerns continue to grow, relating to problems caused both by unscrupulous private clinics offering unregulated therapies based on little or no evidence and by premature regulatory approval on the basis of insufficient scientific rationale and clinical evidence. An initiative by the InterAcademy Partnership convened experts worldwide to identify opportunities and challenges, with a focus on stem cells. This was designed to be inclusive and consensus outputs reflected the diversity of the global research population. Among issues addressed for supporting research and innovation while protecting patients were ethical assessment; pre-clinical and clinical research; regulatory authorization and medicines access; and engagement with patients, policy makers, and the public. The InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) identified options for action for sharing good practice and building collaboration within the scientific community and with other stakeholders worldwide.

Keywords

regenerative medicine
stem cells
biomedical policy
global

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