What an extraordinary year this has been for science.

We witnessed an amazing international response for vaccine development to combat COVID-19. Never before has a drug passed so quickly from the bench through regulatory hurdles to beside. We saw science take center stage in the media as our community rose to the challenge of the pandemic. And, behind the headlines of COVID-19, we watched our colleagues pass major milestones in stem cell research and regenerative medicine.

Skokie, IL – The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) today released updated guidelines for stem cell research and its translation to medicine. The update reflects emerging advances including, stem cell-based embryo models, human embryo research, chimeras, organoids, and genome editing.

We are weeks away from the ISSCR 2021 Annual Meeting, and there is much to anticipate in the meantime. There are so many new programs and announcements coming up for our members and the stem cell community in the next two months, I thought I would take this month’s column to highlight a just a few that I am excited about.