Links to stem cell resources

Note from the editors:

This listing is intended to point out resources and organizations of particular interest. While it is not intended to be comprehensive, we are happy to consider your suggestions on links you find most valuable. Please send comments to theniche at nature.com.

I. Ethics, Policy and Regulation
II. Organizations
III. Tools for Researchers
IV. Literature and Blogs
V. Educational Resources
VI. Companies and Patents

I. Ethics, Policy and Regulations

• A. Ethics
  
  • The American Association for the Advancement of Science site on stem cells
  • Hinxton Group
    • A website intended to facilitate communication among scientists, policymakers, journal editors and the public about international scientific collaboration in the area of stem cell research.
  • National Academy of Sciences Guidelines for Human Embryonic Research
  • National Institutes of Health
  • Eurostem
    • A European Union project concerned with the ethics of human stem cell research and therapy.
• B. Policy and Regulations
  
  • International Society for Stem Cell Research list of regulations of pluripotent and embryonic stem cell research
    • listed by state
    • listed by country
  • Stem Cell Policy Live World Map by William Hoffman
  • Australia
  • Singapore
  • UK
  • Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority
    • Provides regulation and oversight to the use of gametes and embryos in fertility treatment and research.

II. Organizations (Note: See a comprehensive list at William Hoffman's online Map of Stem Cell Research Centers)

• A. International
  • Chimbrids
    • A project to analyze Chimeras and Hybrids in research, including the scientific, ethical, philosophical and legal aspects.
  • EuroStemCell
    • A variety of stem cell information, including news and resources for stem cell scientists and non-scientists
  • International Society for Stem Cell Research
  • Student Society for Stem Cell Research
  • International Stem Cell Forum
    • Working to fund collaborative projects and promote good practices in stem cell research
  • International Consortium of Stem Cell Networks
    • A "network of networks" to unify international efforts on stem cell science
  • Stem Cell Network - Asia Pacific
• B. Australia
  • Australian Stem Cell Centre
    • Government agency to support and commercialize stem cell research to create treatments for human disease
  • New South Wales Stem Cell Network
• C. Canada
  • Stem Cell Network of Canada
  • Toronto Stem Cell Initiative
• D. Germany
  • Stem Cell Network North Rhine Westphalia
  • Regenerative Medicine Initiative Germany
    • An umbrella organisation and communication platform for stem cell research in Germany.
• E. Israel
  • Israel Stem Cell Society
• F. Japan
  • RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology
• G. Sweden
  • Lund University Center for Stem Cell Biology and Cell Therapy
• H. United Kingdom
  • MRC Center for Stem Cell Biology and Medicine, Cambridge University
  • North East England Stem Cell Network, Durham University and Newcastle University
  • Center for Stem Cell Biology, University of Sheffield
  • Institute for Stem Cell Research, Edinburgh
  • Scottish Stem Cell Network
  • Roslin Institute in Edinburgh
  • UK National Stem Cell Network
• I. United States
  • California Institute for Regenerative Medicine
    • A state agency that oversees state funds set aside for research and facilities for embryonic and other pluripotent stem cell research.
  • Genetics Policy Institute
    • A nonprofit organization for promoting stem cell research
  • Harvard Stem Cell Institute
  • Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota
  • New York Stem Cell Foundation
  • Interstate Alliance on Stem Cell Research
    • An organization to coordinate state activities in stem cell research

III. Tools for Researchers

• A. Funding
  • US
    • National Institutes of Health funding opportunities
    • California Institute for Regenerative Medicine funding opportunities
    • Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund funding opportunities
    • " Connecticut Department of Health funding opportunities
  • UK
    • Stem Cell Foundation funding opportunities
• B. Bioinformatic tools and databases
  • Cytoscape
    • An open-source bioinformatics platform for visualizing molecular interaction networks and integrating these interactions with gene expression profiles and data.
  • Pathguide
    • A list of some 300 resources for figuring out biological pathways
  • Genetic Analysis Software List
    • A list of over 400 programs and resources
  • Map of Stem Cell Research Centers
  • The Stem Cell Database
    • Gene expression data for hematopoetic stem cells and their microenvironments from labs at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine and University of Pennsylvania
  • The Nucleic Acids Research Molecular Biology Database Collection
    • A public online resource of 719 databases of interest to biologists, organized in a hierarchical classification.
  • The Edinburgh Mouse Project
    • A digital atlas of successive stages of mouse embryonic development and gene expression database
  • GenMAPP
    • A free computer application for visualizing gene expression and other genomic data on maps representing biological pathways and groupings of genes.
• C. Cell Registries and Banks (Note: Some of these distribute cell lines, whereas others collect and disseminate data on cell lines.)
  • For Stem Cells
  • European Human Embryonic Stem Cell Registry
    • A freely accessible database of more than 175 human embryonic stem cell lines containing user-provided information on the cell lines or information on their research.
  • Harvard Stem Cell Core Facilities
    • In addition to providing core facilities to members of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, the institute's induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell core facility promotes the distribution of iPS lines, including those derived from individuals with diseases of the nervous system, blood and kidney as well as from individuals with diabetes.
  • International Stem Cell Registry
    • University of Massachusetts's searchable database of published and validated unpublished information on all human embryonic stem cell lines as well as other pluripotent stem cell lines.
  • International Stem Cell Forum Registry
    • Part of an initiative involving 17 laboratories in 10 countries. Their goal is to systematically study a set of human embryonic stem cells in an effort to establish an international set of standards for characterization. Data on the lines are freely available for researchers to download and analyze.
  • National Institutes of Health Pluripotent Stem Cell Registry
    • A registry of pluripotent cell lines eligible for federal funding, including embryonic stem cells that have met criteria set out in the Code of Practice for the use of Human Stem Cell Lines.
  • National Stem Cell Bank
    • A University of Wisconsin-based repository to grow, characterize and distribute some of the pluripotent stem cell lines listed on the National Institutes of Health stem cell registry.
  • UK Stem Cell Bank
  • Coriell Stem Cell Biobank
  • Rutgers Stem Cell Research Center human embryonic stem cell core facility
    • Provides stem cells to their own internal program project grant aimed at treating spinal cord injury and also provides resources to New Jersey scientists conducting human embryonic stem cell research, including non-federally restricted laboratory space to aid in pilot projects.
  • Stem Cell Community
    • Searchable database of 260 embryonic stem cells worldwide, maintained by labs at The Scripps Research Institute.
  • Other useful cell banks
    • The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke's Human Genetics DNA and Cell Line Repository
      • This repository banks samples from individuals with cerebrovascular disease, epilepsy, motor neuron disease, Parkinson's disease and Tourette syndrome, as well as samples from controls.
    • National Institute on Aging's Aging Cell Repository
      • A sponsored cell bank for molecular and cellular studies of aging and aging-related degenerative diseases.
• D. Reagents
  • Antibody Resource
    • A guide to find companies that sell catalog antibodies and custom monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies.
  • Jackson Labs
    • This laboratory conducts basis research on the mouse as a model for human diseases, breeds colonies of mice to supply other laboratories and provides scientific resources, techniques, software and data to scientists around the world.
• E. Calendar
  • Nature Reports Stem Cells events page
• F. Jobs in Stem Cell Research
  • Biospace searchable listing
  • International Society for Stem Cell Research job bank
  • NatureJobs

IV. Literature and Blogs

• A. Special Collections
  • Nature's 2008 Insight on Regenerative Medicine
    • Reviews and commentaries by scientists on how to translate stem cell research to the clinic.
  • The Niche: Regenerative Medicine Q and A
  • Nature Reviews Focus on Stem Cells
  • Nature's 2007 Insight on Stem Cells
    • Reviews, glossaries and commentaries by leading scientists on stem cell biology.
  • Nature's 2007 Insight on Epigenetics
  • Cell Research's Stem Cell Issue 2007
  • Nature's 2001 Insight on Stem Cells
• B. Literature Databases
  • Stembook
    • Harvard Stem Cell Institute's online review of stem cell biology containing original, peer-reviewed, open-access content on topics related to stem cell biology.
  • National Institutes of Health's listing of current scientific articles about stem cell research
  • National Institutes of Health's Database of Publications Featuring Mouse Embryonic Stem Cell Lines
• C. Journals
  • Blood
  • Cell Stem Cell
  • Cloning and Stem Cells
  • Nature
  • Nature Biotechnology
  • Nature Cell Biology
  • Nature Methods
  • Nature Genetics
  • Nature Immunology
  • Stem Cells and Development
  • Stem Cells
• D. Blogs
  • California Stem Cell Report
    • By retired journalist David Jensen, about policy relating to the California Stem Cell Report.
  • Cancer Stem Cell News
    • By the famous James Till, with a focus on cancer and open access.
  • The Cell Therapy Blog
    • By Lee Buckler, a consultant to the industry
  • Hematopoeisis
    • By Alexey Bersenev, a researcher at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, with a focus on both blood stem cells and industry.
  • The Niche
    • The official blog of Nature Reports Stem Cells.
  • PIMM
    • By researcher Attila Csordas, discussing stem cells, among other things.
  • The Stem Cell
    • By Christopher Scott, director of Stanford's Program on Science and Society.
  • Science Blog

V. Educational Resources

• A. Primers and FAQs
  • Nature Reports Stem Cells Primer
  • National Institutes of Health primer
  • International Society for Stem Cell Research primer
  • Mayo Clinic Primer
  • Howard Hughes Medical Institute recent center
• B. Glossaries
  • Stem Cell Resources' Stem Cell Glossaries
  • Austin Smith's Glossary from 2007 Nature Insight
• C. PowerPoint presentations and Animations
  • Human Embryonic Stem Cells: an animated tutorial for non-scientists
  • Howard Hughes Medical Institute stem cell animations
  • RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology stem cell animation

VI. Companies and Patents

• A. Companies
  • Guide to international publicly traded companies
• B. Patents
  • A list of US patents relating to stem cells
  • Google Patent Search