International Society for Stem Cell Research

Last updated
International Society for Stem Cell Research
Founded2002
36-4491158
Legal status 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
Headquarters Evanston, Illinois, United States
Membership
4,400
Amander T. Clark
Keith Alm [1]
Employees (2022)
18
Website www.isscr.org

The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Evanston, Illinois, United States. The organization's mission is to promote excellence in stem cell science and applications to human health.

Contents

History

The International Society for Stem Cell Research was formed in 2002 (incorporated on March 30, 2001) to foster the exchange of information on stem cell research. [2] Leonard Zon, professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, served as the organization's first president. [3]

In June 2003, the International Society for Stem Cell Research held its first convention. [4] More than 600 scientists attended, many of whom expressed frustration over restrictions that President George W. Bush's administration had placed on the field of stem-cell research, slowing the pace of research. Scientists who were leaders in their fields were prohibited from using funding from the National Institutes of Health to conduct certain experiments that could provide significant medical achievements. [5]

As a service to the field, in 2006, the ISSCR developed guidelines that address the international diversity of cultural, political, legal, and ethical perspectives related to stem cell research and its translation to medicine. [6] The guidelines were designed to underscore widely shared principles in science that call for rigor, oversight, and transparency in all areas of practice. Adherence to the ISSCR guidelines would provide assurance that stem cell research is conducted with scientific and ethical integrity and that new therapies are evidence-based. In response to advances in science, the guidelines were updated in 2008, and again in 2016, to encompass a broader and more expansive scope of research and clinical endeavor than before, imposing rigor on all stages of research, addressing the cost of regenerative medicine products, and highlighting the need for accurate and effective public communication. The 2016 Guidelines for Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation have been adopted by researchers, clinicians, organizations, and institutions around the world.

In 2013, the Society's official journal, Stem Cell Reports , was established; it is published monthly by Cell Press on the Society's behalf. [7]

In March 2015, scientists, including an inventor of CRISPR, urged a worldwide hold on germline gene therapy, writing that "scientists should avoid even attempting, in lax jurisdictions, germline genome modification for clinical application in humans" until the full implications "are discussed among scientific and governmental organizations". [8] [9] [10] [11]

After the publication that a Chinese group had used CRISPR to modify a gene in human embryos, the group repeated their call for a suspension of "attempts at human clinical germ-line genome editing while extensive scientific analysis of the potential risks is conducted, along with broad public discussion of the societal and ethical implications." [12]

The ISSCR’s Annual Meetings are the largest stem cell research conferences in the world, drawing nearly 3,900 attendees in 2020 for the organization's first global, virtual event, ISSCR 2020 Digital. The ISSCR’s membership includes international leaders of stem cell research and regenerative medicine representing more than 70 countries worldwide. [13] In 2021, the ISSCR published an update to its internationally recognized Guidelines for Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation, that address the international diversity of cultural, political, legal, and ethical issues associated with stem cell research and its translation to medicine.. In 2022, the Society hosted its first hybrid annual meeting in San Francisco, USA and launched ISSCR.digital, which offers scientific education and opportunities to network and build new connections with the global community.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genetic engineering</span> Manipulation of an organisms genome

Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification or genetic manipulation, is the modification and manipulation of an organism's genes using technology. It is a set of technologies used to change the genetic makeup of cells, including the transfer of genes within and across species boundaries to produce improved or novel organisms. New DNA is obtained by either isolating and copying the genetic material of interest using recombinant DNA methods or by artificially synthesising the DNA. A construct is usually created and used to insert this DNA into the host organism. The first recombinant DNA molecule was made by Paul Berg in 1972 by combining DNA from the monkey virus SV40 with the lambda virus. As well as inserting genes, the process can be used to remove, or "knock out", genes. The new DNA can be inserted randomly, or targeted to a specific part of the genome.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gene therapy</span> Medical field

Gene therapy is a medical technology which aims to produce a therapeutic effect through the manipulation of gene expression or through altering the biological properties of living cells.

The term modifications in genetics refers to both naturally occurring and engineered changes in DNA. Incidental, or natural mutations occur through errors during replication and repair, either spontaneously or due to environmental stressors. Intentional modifications are done in a laboratory for various purposes, developing hardier seeds and plants, and increasingly to treat human disease. The use of gene editing technology remains controversial.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Designer baby</span> Genetically modified human embryo

A designer baby is a baby whose genetic makeup has been selected or altered, often to exclude a particular gene or to remove genes associated with disease. This process usually involves analysing a wide range of human embryos to identify genes associated with particular diseases and characteristics, and selecting embryos that have the desired genetic makeup; a process known as preimplantation genetic diagnosis. Screening for single genes is commonly practiced, and polygenic screening is offered by a few companies. Other methods by which a baby's genetic information can be altered involve directly editing the genome before birth, which is not routinely performed and only one instance of this is known to have occurred as of 2019, where Chinese twins Lulu and Nana were edited as embryos, causing widespread criticism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Medical genetics</span> Medicine focused on hereditary disorders

Medical genetics is the branch of medicine that involves the diagnosis and management of hereditary disorders. Medical genetics differs from human genetics in that human genetics is a field of scientific research that may or may not apply to medicine, while medical genetics refers to the application of genetics to medical care. For example, research on the causes and inheritance of genetic disorders would be considered within both human genetics and medical genetics, while the diagnosis, management, and counselling people with genetic disorders would be considered part of medical genetics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ralph L. Brinster</span> American geneticist

Ralph Lawrence Brinster is an American geneticist, National Medal of Science laureate, and Richard King Mellon Professor of Reproductive Physiology at the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Insoo Hyun</span>

Insoo Hyun is the Director of Research Ethics and a faculty member of the Center for Bioethics and senior lecturer on Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School. He also serves as the Inaugural Director of the Center for Life Sciences and Public Learning at Boston's Museum of Science. As a Fulbright Scholar and Hastings Center Fellow, Dr. Hyun's interests include ethical and policy issues in stem cell research and new biotechnologies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Q. Daley</span>

George Quentin Daley is the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Caroline Shields Walker Professor of Medicine, and Professor of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology at Harvard Medical School. He was formerly the Robert A. Stranahan Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, Director of the Stem Cell Transplantation Program at Boston Children's Hospital, and an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Associate Director of Children's Stem Cell Program, a member of the Executive Committee of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute. He is a past president of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (2007–2008).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Genome editing</span> Type of genetic engineering

Genome editing, or genome engineering, or gene editing, is a type of genetic engineering in which DNA is inserted, deleted, modified or replaced in the genome of a living organism. Unlike early genetic engineering techniques that randomly inserts genetic material into a host genome, genome editing targets the insertions to site-specific locations. The basic mechanism involved in genetic manipulations through programmable nucleases is the recognition of target genomic loci and binding of effector DNA-binding domain (DBD), double-strand breaks (DSBs) in target DNA by the restriction endonucleases, and the repair of DSBs through homology-directed recombination (HDR) or non-homologous end joining (NHEJ).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jennifer Doudna</span> American biochemist and Nobel laureate (born 1964)

Jennifer Anne Doudna is an American biochemist who has done pioneering work in CRISPR gene editing, and made other fundamental contributions in biochemistry and genetics. Doudna was one of the first women to share a Nobel in the sciences. She received the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, with Emmanuelle Charpentier, "for the development of a method for genome editing." She is the Li Ka Shing Chancellor's Chair Professor in the department of chemistry and the department of molecular and cell biology at the University of California, Berkeley. She has been an investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute since 1997.

Paul S. Knoepfler is an American biologist, writer, and blogger. He is a professor in the Department of Cell Biology and Human Anatomy, the Genome Center, and the Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of California, Davis School of Medicine. In 2013, Knoepfler was named one of the 50 most influential people in the stem cell field.

Stephen H. Tsang is an American ophthalmologist and geneticist. He is currently a Professor of Ophthalmology, and Pathology and Cell Biology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York.

Human germline engineering is the process by which the genome of an individual is edited in such a way that the change is heritable. This is achieved through genetic alterations within the germ cells, or the reproductive cells, such as the egg and sperm. Human germline engineering is a type of genetic modification that directly manipulates the genome using molecular engineering techniques. Aside from germline engineering, genetic modification can be applied in another way, somatic genetic modification. Somatic gene modification consists of altering somatic cells, which are all cells in the body that are not involved in reproduction. While somatic gene therapy does change the genome of the targeted cells, these cells are not within the germline, so the alterations are not heritable and cannot be passed on to the next generation.

Horizontal Environmental Genetic Alteration Agents (HEGAAs) are any artificially developed agents that are engineered to edit the genome of eukaryotic species they infect when intentionally dispersed into the environment (outside of contained facilities such as laboratories or hospitals).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">He Jiankui affair</span> 2018 scientific and bioethical controversy

The He Jiankui affair is a scientific and bioethical controversy concerning the use of genome editing following its first use on humans by Chinese scientist He Jiankui, who edited the genomes of human embryos in 2018. He became widely known on 26 November 2018 after he announced that he had created the first human genetically edited babies. He was listed in the Time's 100 most influential people of 2019. The affair led to ethical and legal controversies, resulting in the indictment of He and two of his collaborators, Zhang Renli and Qin Jinzhou. He eventually received widespread international condemnation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">He Jiankui</span> Chinese scientist (born 1984)

He Jiankui is a Chinese biophysicist who was an associate professor in the Department of Biology of the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) in Shenzhen, China. Earning his Ph.D. from Rice University in Texas on protein evolution, including that of CRISPR, He learned gene-editing techniques (CRISPR/Cas9) as a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University in California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CRISPR gene editing</span> Gene editing method

CRISPR gene editing is a genetic engineering technique in molecular biology by which the genomes of living organisms may be modified. It is based on a simplified version of the bacterial CRISPR-Cas9 antiviral defense system. By delivering the Cas9 nuclease complexed with a synthetic guide RNA (gRNA) into a cell, the cell's genome can be cut at a desired location, allowing existing genes to be removed and/or new ones added in vivo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vardit Ravitsky</span> Bioethicist, researcher, and author

Vardit Ravitsky is a bioethicist, researcher, and author. She is a full professor at the University of Montreal and a senior lecturer on Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School. She is immediate-past president and current vice-president of the International Association of Bioethics, and the director of Ethics and Health at the Center for Research on Ethics. She is a Fellow of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, where she Chaired the COVID-19 Impact Committee. She is also Fellow of The Hastings Center and of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.

Kiran Musunuru is an American cardiologist who is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. He researches the genetics and genomics of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Musunuru is a leading expert in the field of gene-editing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vence L. Bonham Jr.</span>

Vence L. Bonham Jr., J.D. is the acting Deputy Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) of the U. S. National Institutes of Health, and is the leader of the NHGRI Health Disparities Unit. His research focuses on social determinants of health, particularly with regard to the social implications of new genomic knowledge and technologies.

References

  1. ↑ "Headquarters Staff". International Society for Stem Cell Research. Accessed on May 17, 2016.
  2. ↑ "About Us". International Society for Stem Cell Research.
  3. ↑ "Officers & Board of Directors". www.isscr.org. Retrieved 2019-01-25.
  4. ↑ The ISSCR (2008-08-07). "The ISSCR Annual Meeting Series". Cell Stem Cell. 3 (2): 156–158. doi: 10.1016/j.stem.2008.07.014 . ISSN   1934-5909.
  5. ↑ Fischbach, Gerald D.; Fischbach, Ruth L. (2004-11-15). "Stem cells: science, policy, and ethics". Journal of Clinical Investigation. 114 (10): 1364–1370. doi:10.1172/JCI23549. ISSN   0021-9738. PMC   525749 . PMID   15545983.
  6. ↑ "Guidelines for Stem Cell Research". www.isscr.org. Retrieved 2019-01-25.
  7. ↑ Mummery, Christine; Fischer, Yvonne; Gathier, Atie (2013-06-04). "Welcome to Stem Cell Reports". Stem Cell Reports. 1 (1): 1–2. doi:10.1016/j.stemcr.2013.05.003. ISSN   2213-6711. PMC   3757740 . PMID   24052935.
  8. ↑ Wade, Nicholas (19 March 2015). "Scientists Seek Ban on Method of Editing the Human Genome". New York Times . Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  9. ↑ Pollack, Andrew (3 March 2015). "A Powerful New Way to Edit DNA". New York Times . Retrieved 20 March 2015.
  10. ↑ Baltimore, David; Berg, Paul; Botchan, Dana; Charo, R. Alta; Church, George; Corn, Jacob E.; Daley, George Q.; Doudna, Jennifer A.; Fenner, Marsha; Greely, Henry T.; Jinek, Martin; Martin, G. Steven; Penhoet, Edward; Puck, Jennifer; Sternberg, Samuel H.; Weissman, Jonathan S.; Yamamoto, Keith R. (19 March 2015). "A prudent path forward for genomic engineering and germline gene modification". Science . 348 (6230): 36–8. Bibcode:2015Sci...348...36B. doi:10.1126/science.aab1028. PMC   4394183 . PMID   25791083.
  11. ↑ Lanphier, Edward; Urnov, Fyodor; Haecker, Sarah Ehlen; Werner, Michael; Smolenski, Joanna (26 March 2015). "Don't edit the human germ line". Nature . 519 (7544): 410–411. Bibcode:2015Natur.519..410L. doi: 10.1038/519410a . PMID   25810189.
  12. ↑ "Chinese Manipulation of Human Embryo Genes Draws Rebuke". Wall Street Journal. 23 April 2015.
  13. ↑ "About ISSCR". www.isscr.org. Retrieved 2019-01-25.
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