ISSCR News
Happy New Year 2026 To All Members of the ISSCR Community
I sincerely hope that this new year will be a fulfilling and inspiring one for each of you.
As we begin 2026, the world continues to face profound and interrelated challenges—escalating natural disasters driven by climate change, rising geopolitical tensions, and evolving disease landscapes associated with global aging. In the midst of these uncertainties, I am reminded daily of the enduring mission of the ISSCR: to advance stem cell science in order to overcome disease, safeguard human health worldwide, and nurture the next generation of scientists who will carry this mission forward.
Member Spotlight: Xiaokui Zhang, PhD
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.
Stem Cell Reports Most Downloaded Papers of 2025 Highlight the Breadth and Impact of Stem Cell Research
The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) today announced the 10 most downloaded papers of 2025 from Stem Cell Reports, its peer-reviewed, open-access journal. Together, these highly read articles reflect the extraordinary scientific range of the field – from foundational mechanisms of pluripotency and differentiation to translational advances in regenerative medicine, disease modeling, and bioethics – and underscore the journal’s role as a trusted platform for impactful stem cell science.
The ISSCR Joins Coalition Letter in Support of ARPA-H Funding
The ISSCR joined over 100 biomedical research organizations and institutions to urge congressional appropriators to provide at least $1.5 billion for the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). ARPA-H supports high-risk, high-reward biomedical research projects and was established in 2022 to complement the role of the National Institutes of Health. This investment would enable ARPA-H to continue supporting stem cell research and regenerative medicine projects aimed at advancing stem cell research and accelerating clinical breakthroughs.
Researchers Identify 166 Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Lines Available for Use in Clinical Applications
To date, more than 100 clinical trials with human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived products have been initiated worldwide and an increasing number of potential hPSC-derived clinical products have entered early developmental pipelines. For off-the-shelf (allogeneic) products, the identification and selection of the right hPSC line early on during this process is of utmost importance as failure to do so may delay or completely stall product development. While developers acknowledge the importance of this issue, a comprehensive, accessible listing of globally available hPSC lines to inform cell line selection for clinical use has been elusive until now.
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