The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) announces the launch of a new online continuing education course, Stem Cell Medicine: From Scientific Research to Patient Care. The comprehensive course comes at a pivotal moment, addressing the growing demand for evidence-based, expert-led education amid the proliferation of unproven and potentially harmful stem cell interventions that threaten patient safety around the world. The activity, jointly provided by Harvard Medical School and the ISSCR, is open access, available on demand, and offered at no cost to clinicians, nurses, medical students, scientists, and the public. It is also available in six languages.

“It is an exciting time for stem cell medicine,” said Eugenia Piddini, PhD, FMedSci, Chair of the ISSCR Education Committee, who led the collaborative effort to develop the course. “With numerous global clinical trials testing stem cell-based interventions for various applications, we are nearing a revolution that could transform the standard of care and treatment options for many diseases. Clinicians, whether actively practicing or still in training, are essential to this transformation.”

As clinicians increasingly face patient inquiries and misinformation about stem cell treatments, this course aims to equip them with the information necessary for informed, responsible patient care. Learners will gain a comprehensive, structured overview of the field, covering topics from basic stem cell biology to clinical applications and patient communication.

“As a physician-scientist, I recognize that there has been a lack of well-designed, structured, and authoritative information for clinicians on stem cell medicine since the inception of the field,” Jaime Imitola, MD, FAAN, FANA, Vice Chair of the ISSCR Education Committee said. “To address this, we worked with international groups of physicians to identify knowledge gaps. The result is this course, which is designed to fill those gaps, emphasize a patient-centered approach, and reinforce how to communicate effectively and compassionately with patients.”

Stem Cell Medicine: From Scientific Research to Patient Care is part of the ISSCR’s ongoing commitment to support responsible clinical practice through education and scientific integrity. It was developed with advice from leading international physicians and scientists. The course is made possible through generous support from educational grants provided by Novo Nordisk, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, BlueRock Therapeutics, and Bayer AG.

Eligible participants can earn AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ and American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) contact hours.

About ISSCR
With nearly 5,000 members from more than 80 countries, the International Society for Stem Cell Research (@ISSCR) is the preeminent global, cross-disciplinary, science-based organization dedicated to stem cell research and its translation to clinical applications. The ISSCR’s mission is to promote excellence in stem cell science and its applications to human health.