Clinicians will soon gain access to trusted education on stem cell-based therapies through a new Continuing Education (CE) course developed by the International Society of Stem Cell Research (ISSCR). Harvard Medical School will be accrediting the course and producing the course materials.

The comprehensive course will cover key topics for healthcare providers, including fundamental stem cell biology, methodologies and considerations for cell therapy product design and clinical trials, and the rise of unproven stem cell clinics and stem cell tourism. It aims to equip clinicians with tools and strategies for effective patient communication, ensuring that information shared is accurate and impactful. The course will be open access and free of charge to clinicians, medical students, scientists, and the public.

“This is a significant moment for the ISSCR,” said Valentina Greco, PhD, ISSCR President. “The project is a testament to the efforts and vision of many, and in particular the ISSCR Education Committee has worked tirelessly to complete a needs assessment and develop content for this course, aimed at better informing clinicians about stem cells and their potential benefit for patients. We appreciate the opportunity to work with Harvard Medical School.”

“By bringing our global reach, expertise, and educational capabilities to this initiative, we aim to ensure that healthcare providers have access to accurate and reliable information, empowering them to navigate the complexities of this evolving field and better serve their patients," said David Roberts, Dean for External Education at Harvard Medical School.

“Under my leadership the ISSCR Education Committee ran focus groups with clinicians from different continents, to identify the knowledge gaps that practicing physicians experience when confronted by patients about stem cell treatments,” said Eugenia Piddini, PhD, chair of the ISSCR Education Committee. “This work identified key areas that we are addressing in the development of this CE course. I am confident that the resulting course will provide a valuable resource to help narrow that gap and I look forward to seeing its impact on the community into the future.”

“As a practicing physician, I often hear questions from patients that reference false claims made by clinics marketing unproven stem cell ‘therapies’ here and abroad,” said Jaime Imitola, MD, vice-chair of the ISSCR Education Committee. “Our goal is to provide physicians with trusted and reliable information on stem cells and their applications in a CE format by authoritative sources.

This will help clinicians guide their patients more effectively and ensure patients are making informed decisions about their health.”

The ISSCR’s CE course is set to launch in the Spring next year. It will be followed by disease-specific stem cell medicine courses later in 2025. All courses will offer AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ and American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) contact hours, allowing physicians and nurses to use the earned credits to fulfill their continuing education requirements.

The ISSCR Education Committee and staff have been instrumental with this project: Chair, Eugenia Piddini, PhD, BSc, MSc, University of Bristol, UK, Vice Chair, Jaime Imitola, MD, UConn Health, USA, Mohamed Abou-el-Enein, MD, PhD, MSPH, Keck School of Medicine of USC, USA, William J. Anderson, PhD, Harvard Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, USA, Roger Barker, MBBS, MRCP, PhD, University of Cambridge, UK, Kathryn S.E. Cheah, PhD, The University of Hong Kong, Anna Couturier, PhD, EuroGCT, UK, Elisa Giacomelli, PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital, USA, Insoo Hyun, PhD, Boston Museum of Science, USA, Kathryn S. Jones, PhD, University of Auckland, New Zealand, Sally Lowell, PhD, MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, UK, Zubin Master, BSc, PhD, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, USA, Hideyuki Okano, MD, PhD, Keio University of School of Medicine, Japan, Graziella Pellegrini, PhD, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Centre for Regenerative Medicine, Italy, Carolyn Sangokoya, MD, PhD, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), USA, Cecile Terrenoire, PhD, The New York Stem Cell Foundation, USA, Kendra Prutton, ISSCR Science Communication and Education Manager, and Keith Alm, ISSCR CEO.

About the International Society for Stem Cell Research
With nearly 5,000 members from more than 80 countries, the International Society for Stem Cell Research is the preeminent, global, cross-disciplinary, science-based organization dedicated to stem cell research and its translation to the clinic. The ISSCR mission is to promote excellence in stem cell science and applications to human health. For more information about stem cell science, visit AboutStemCells.org.

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