The Nomenclature System Should Be Sustainable, but Also Practical

First Proposal of Minimum Information About a Cellular Assay for Regenerative Medicine

: Advances in stem cell research have triggered scores of studies in regenerative medicine in a large number of institutions and companies around the world. However, reproducibility and data exchange among laboratories or cell banks are constrained by the lack of a standardized format for experiments. To enhance information flow in stem cell and derivative cell research, here we propose a minimum information standard to describe cellular assay data to facilitate practical regenerative medicine. Based on the existing Minimum Information About a Cellular Assay, we developed Minimum Information About a Cellular Assay for Regenerative Medicine (MIACARM), which allows for the description of advanced cellular experiments with defined taxonomy of human cell types. By using controlled terms, such as ontologies, MIACARM will provide a platform for cellular assay data exchange among cell banks or registries that have been established at more than 20 sites in the world.

SIGNIFICANCE

Currently, there are more than 20 human cell information storage sites around the world. However, reproducibility and data exchange among different laboratories or cell information providers are usually inadequate or nonexistent because of the lack of a standardized format for experiments. This study, which is the fruit of collaborative work by scientists at stem cell banks and cellular information registries worldwide, including those in the U.S., the U.K., Europe, and Japan, proposes new minimum information guidelines, Minimum Information About a Cellular Assay for Regenerative Medicine (MIACARM), for cellular assay data deposition. MIACARM is intended to promote data exchange and facilitation of practical regenerative medicine.

Disclosure and management of research findings in stem cell research and banking: policy statement

Prompted by an increased interest of both research participants and the patient advocacy community in obtaining information about research outcomes and on the use of their biological samples; the international community has begun to debate the emergence of an ethical 'duty' to return research results to participants. Furthermore, the use of new technologies (e.g., whole-genome and -exome sequencing) has revealed both genetic data and incidental findings with possible clinical significance. These technologies together with the proliferation of biorepositories, provide a compelling rationale for governments and scientific institutions to adopt prospective policies. Given the scarcity of policies in the context of stem cell research, a discussion on the scientific, ethical and legal implications of disclosing research results for research participants is needed. We present the International Stem Forum Ethics Working Party's Policy Statement and trust that it will stimulate debate and meet the concerns of researchers and research participants alike.