Abstract
Rapid advances in stem cell research have led to the derivation of hundreds of human embryonic stem (hES) cell lines in centers throughout the world, as well as the development of new technologies for producing pluripotent stem cells. These cell lines have unique characteristics and were derived using a variety of ethical guidelines. Stem cell registries have been developed in order to collect, organize, and disseminate cell line-specific information. In this review, we describe the current state of the field by providing an overview of the unique qualities and mandates of the three major stem cell registries: the European hES Cell Registry, the Registry of hES Cell Line Provenance developed by the International Society for Stem Cell Research, and the International Stem Cell Registry of hES and induced pluripotent stem cell lines established at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. While each registry has its own unique mandate and features, there is some overlap in the goals and information provided. This review discusses the challenges and prospects for an integrated approach in which all three registries effectively collaborate to minimize duplication and facilitate information exchange within the stem cell community.
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Acknowledgments
hESCreg would especially thank hESCreg management partners Glyn Stacey, National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, UK, and Andreas Kurtz, Charité University Hospital, Berlin for their substantial co-operational work in the project. hESCreg would kindly acknowledge the supportive work of its project partners: Javier Arias-Diaz, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain; Juan Carlos Izpisúa, Center for Regenerative Medicine Barcelona, Spain; Carlos Simón, Prince Felipe Research Centre, Spain; Arnaud de Guerra, Agence de la Biomedecine, France; Karen Sermon, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium; Benjamin Reubinoff, Hadassah University Hospital, Israel; Outi Hovatta, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden; Christine Mummery, LUMC, Academisch Ziekenhuis Leiden, Netherlands; Petr Dvorák, Masayrk University Brno, Czech Republic; Timo Otonkoski, University of Helsinki, Finland; Claus Yding Andersen, University Hospital of Copenhagen, Denmark; Marisa Jaconi, Geneva University, Switzerland. The members of the hESCreg Scientific Advisory Board and Ethics Advisory Board (http://www.hescreg.eu/index.php?id=12) are kindly acknowledged for their continuous supportive work. The hESCreg project is funded by the European Commission (grant no. 037820).
The ISSCR would like to acknowledge the Registry Advisory Panel who have supported the development of the registry: Chair Patrick Taylor, Children’s Hospital Boston, USA; Peter Andrews, University of Sheffield, UK; Lars Ahrlund-Richter, Karolinska Institute, Sweden; Joeri Borstlap, Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies, Germany and Technical Coordinator, European Human Embryonic Stem Cell Registry; Dan Kaufman, MD, PhD, University of Minnesota, USA; Bartha Knoppers, University of Montreal and Chair, International Stem Cell Forum Ethics Working Party; Story Landis, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, USA and Chair, NIH Stem Cell Task Force; Geoff Lomax, California Institute of Regenerative Medicine, USA; P. Pearl O’Rourke, MD, Partners Healthcare Systems, USA; Miodrag Stojkovic, Centro de Investigación Príncipe Felipe, Spain; Anna Veiga, Barcelona Stem Cell Bank at the Center of Regenerative Medicine Barcelona, Spain and the Scientific Coordinator, European Human Embryonic Stem Cell Registry; and George Daley, Children’s Hospital Boston, USA and Past President, ISSCR. Discussions with other registry, funding and research groups have been immensely valuable.
The International Stem Cell Registry was developed and is operated with funding from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. The registry would like to acknowledge the assistance of members of the University of Massachusetts Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine as well as important collaborators, including the Harvard Stem Cell Institute and the Stem Cell Task Force at the National Institutes of Health.
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Editor: J. Denry Sato
J. Borstlap, M. X. Luong, and H. M. Rooke contributed equally to this work.
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Borstlap, J., Luong, M.X., Rooke, H.M. et al. International stem cell registries. In Vitro Cell.Dev.Biol.-Animal 46, 242–246 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11626-010-9295-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11626-010-9295-1