The Obstacles on the Road to Clinical Applications of Stem Cell-Based Therapies: What Has Been Done to Overcome These Obstacles and What Remains to Be Done?

Studying the lay of the land: views and experiences of professionals in the translational pluripotent stem cell field

AIM

The inherent uncertainty of first-in-human trials, combined with the technical complexity of pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), makes early phase PSC studies ethically challenging. Conducting parallel bioethics research based on experiences and views of professionals in the stem cell field is therefore important.

MATERIALS & METHODS

We conducted semistructured interviews with various stakeholders to get a lay of the land of ethical issues professionals find relevant to the translation of PSCs.

RESULTS

We identified four themes in the interviews: the uniqueness of PSCs, the suitability of the current research paradigm, the justification for early phase PSC studies and the involvement of patients and research participants.

CONCLUSION

We conclude that a debate should take place discussing the suitability of the current research paradigm for translational PSC studies.