Stem cell science and clinical knowledge are evolving rapidly. Most stem cell therapies are not yet proven and should not be offered with false hope and hefty price tags to vulnerable patients. International collaboration to exploit the potential for biomedical use of human embryonic stem (ES) cells encounters political, religious, legal, and cultural obstacles. For these reasons, the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) formed a task force to set guidelines for human ES cell research.

The ISSCR is the primary scientific organization for stem cell scientists, and it goes beyond institution, region, or nation. The ISSCR wants clinicians to work with regulators to establish effective preclinical and clinical evaluation standards, and it sees the guidelines as a living document to be revised as new ...