The ISSCR introduces “checklist” to promote global best practices for human stem cell research

Recommendations from the Standards for Human Stem Cell Use in Research,  published in June by the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR), include a publishing “checklist” that is now being used by laboratory scientists and implemented in the review process by scientific publishers.

“The goal of this checklist is to increase clarity and transparency in the reporting of certain key quality control measures unique to the field of stem cell research,” says Martin Pera (@martinperaJAX), Editor in Chief of Stem Cell Reports, who served on the international task force that developed the standards. “This is similar in format to editorial policy checklists already in use at many journals, enabling authors to disclose the critical experimental details of their research for review and potential replication.”

While some of the recommended practices are broadly applicable to the use of cultured cells, the ISSCR Standards and the accompanying checklist additionally address issues specific to the use of tissue and pluripotent human stem cells. The checklist has nine reporting categories and encourages shared language, consistency in materials, and clear reporting practices aimed at addressing ongoing issues shared by the stem cell scientists.

The ISSCR Standards Initiative, launched in 2021, is led by an 11-member steering committee comprising international experts. The society pursued this initiative, recognizing the opportunity to establish best practices and reporting recommendations for pluripotent and adult stem cell research to improve rigor in the field.  The basic and preclinical standards, released in June 2023, will be followed by clinical standards, likely in 2025. The committee aims to work with the stem cell community, including scientists, funders, and journal editors, to see the standards fully adopted.

The ISSCR Standards Initiative is supported through contributions by Burroughs Wellcome Fund (BWF), Doris Duke Foundation (DDF), and the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI).

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Three pieces of content related to the human stem cell checklist appear in the September 14 issue of Stem Cell Reports:

• The perspective: Ludwig and Andrews et al.: “ISSCR standards for the use of human stem cells in basic research.” https://www.cell.com/stem-cell-reports/fulltext/S2213-6711(23)00302-8. Declarations of interest are listed in the manuscript.
• The editorial: Pera, M.: “Achieving the goals of the ISSCR standards initiative.” https://www.cell.com/stem-cell-reports/fulltext/S2213-6711(23)00308-9 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2023.08.009.
•  The SnapShot: “Reporting practices for publishing results with human PSCs and tissue stem cells.” https://www.cell.com/stem-cell-reports/fulltext/S2213-6711(23)00309-0 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2023.08.010.

Stem Cell Reports (@stemcellreports), published by Cell Press for the International Society for Stem Cell Research (@ISSCR), is a monthly open-access forum communicating basic discoveries in stem cell research, in addition to translational and clinical studies. The journal focuses on shorter, single-point manuscripts that report original research with conceptual or practical advances that are of broad interest to stem cell biologists and clinicians. Visit http://www.cell.com/stem-cell-reports. To receive Cell Press media alerts, please contact [email protected].