Links

Directories and Databases

• MEDLINEplus-Stem Cells/Stem Cell Transplantation A consumer health database that includes news, health resources, clinical trials, and more.
• PubMed Contains references to literature from more than 4,300 life sciences journals.

Disease-Specific Organizations and Advocacy Groups

• Mesothelioma Group A small team of healthcare professionals, patient advocates, and communication specialists who have one goal: to lead the way in supporting and encouraging mesothelioma patients and their families.
• Mesothelioma Guide Their mission is to guide mesothelioma patients and their loved ones toward answers, care options, and free health solutions that improve their lives. Mesothelioma Guide was founded with over a decade of experience serving the mesothelioma community and a commitment to creating a better environment for patients and family members. By remaining a for-profit company, they’re able to dedicate hundreds of thousands of dollars in free top-tier resources and patient support staff.
• Alliance for Aging Research This citizen advocacy organization works to improve the health and independence of Americans as they age.
• ALS Association (ALSA) Dedicated to the fight against Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease), ALSA offers this primer on stem cells.
• American Cancer Society Offers information on stem cell transplantation for children with leukemia.
• Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation Funds research on treatments for central nervous system disorders and works to improve the lives of people with disabilities through a grants program, paralysis resource center, and advocacy efforts.
• Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research Advocates the advancement of breakthrough research and technologies in regenerative medicine, including stem cell research and somatic cell nuclear transfer.
• Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Using stem cells to restore normal blood sugar, plus information on recent research and policy.
• Lymphoma Information Network A page on bone marrow and stem cell transplants.
• March of Dimes Aims to give babies a fighting chance against such threats to their health as prematurity, birth defects, and low birth weight.
• Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research Dedicated to ensuring the development of a cure for Parkinson's disease through an aggressively funded research agenda.
• National Health Council (NHC) Works to promote the health of all people by advancing the voluntary health movement.
• National Marrow Donor Program(R) (NMDP) Maintains an international registry of donors for all sources of blood stem cells used in transplantation: bone marrow, peripheral blood, and umbilical cord blood.
• Research!America Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on stem cell research.

Educational Resources

• NIH-Supported Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) Projects
• Cellular Universe: The Promise of Stem Cells Educates visitors about advances in cell biology and stem cells so they can make more informed health-related decisions, explore new career options, and better understand the role of scientific research in healthcare.
• Life Science Learning Center The University of Rochester educational program provide a general overview of stem cell biology and an introduction to stem cell research. Extended Version Stem Cell Biology module features a series of 10 short lessons on stem cells with hands-on lab activities and animated slide show. The Short Version" of the Stem Cell Biology module can be completed in two 40-minute class periods. Instructions for setting up the lab activity are included in the teacher guide.
• NWABR Stem Cell Curriculum This 6-lesson unit explores the scientific and ethical issues involved in stem cell research. It features hands-on, engaging classroom activities that have been showcased in the journal American Biology Teacher.
• Regenerative Medicine Partnership in Education Duquesne University's SEPA project offers planetarium shows, movies, and educational Web tools.
• Tissues of Life: Stem Cells An interactive comic explaining where stem cells are found in the body and how they are gathered.
• Stem Cells in the Spotlight and Cloning In Focus The Genetic Science Learning Center at the University of Utah presents these outreach education programs for high school and undergraduate students and teachers.
• A Stem Cell Story This 15-minute movie from EuroStemCell introduces the world of stem cell research and is available as a video pod cast.
• ExploreStemCells A UK resource for the general public that discusses the use of stem cells in medical treatments and therapies.
• How Embryonic Stem Cell Lines Are Made An online animation from the Dolan DNA Learning Center, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. (Requires Adobe Flash Player)
• Human Embryonic Stem Cells An animated tutorial for the general public. (Requires Adobe Flash Player)
• The National Academies Publications on stem cells, including Understanding Stem Cells: An Overview of the Science and Issues from the National Academies (2006), Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research (2005, and updated in 2007, 2008, and 2010), Stem Cells and the Future of Regenerative Medicine (2002), and Scientific and Medical Aspects of Human Reproductive Cloning (2002).
• StemBook A collection of invited, original, peer-reviewed chapters on stem cell biology written by top researchers in the field at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute and worldwide. StemBook is aimed at stem cell and non-specialist researchers.
• Stem Cells: Cells with Potential Part of the San Francisco Exploratorium's Microscope Imaging Station.
• Stem Cell ResourcesSM A resource for the educational community on stem cells.
• Tissue Engineering Planetarium Show Online movies about the body's ability to heal itself.
• World Stem Cell Map Reflects national policy and whether public funds may be used to pursue stem cell research using IVF embryos donated from fertility clinics.

International Research

• The International Stem Cell Forum (ISCF) is made up of 14 leading funders of stem cell research from around the world. It was founded in January 2003 to encourage international collaboration and funding support for stem cell research, with the overall aim of promoting global good practice and accelerating progress in this vitally important area of biomedical science.
• The International Society for Stem Cell Research is an independent, nonprofit organization established to promote and foster the exchange and dissemination of information and ideas relating to stem cells, to encourage the general field of research involving stem cells and to promote professional and public education in all areas of stem cell research and application.
• Australia
• Australian Stem Cell Centre Unites leading Australian academic researchers with the biotechnology industry to develop innovative therapeutic products.
• Canada
• Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) CIHR is the major federal agency responsible for funding health research in Canada. The site offers links to stem cell research guidelines, the Stem Cell Oversight Committee, and funding opportunities.
• Europe
• EuroStemCell Europe's stem cell hub: information, education, and conversation. Their stem cell toolkit contains downloadable resources and activities for a variety of educational settings and resources directory is a directory of educational, interactive and multimedia resources about stem cell research and regenerative medicine.
• Finland
• The Academy of Finland Governmental funding organization for scientific research of all disciplines in Finland.
• Tekes-National Technology Agency of Finland A publicly funded expert organization for financing research, development, and innovation in Finland.
• Israel
• The Hadassah Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Center Part of Hadassah University Hospital's Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy.
• Japan
• Kyoto University Home page for the University's Stem Cell Research Center.
• RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology Home page for the Center's Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology.
• Singapore
• Stem Cell Research Singapore Serving the stem cell research community of Singapore.
• United Kingdom
• Centre for Stem Cell Biology Part of the University of Sheffield.
• Institute for Stem Cell Research Includes links to its research groups and collaborative initiatives.
• Institute of Human Genetics at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne Outlines their current research projects.
• The UK Medical Research Council sponsors the UK Stem Cell Bank, which is responsible for storing, characterizing, and supplying ethically approved, quality-controlled stem cell lines for medical research and treatment.
• Scottish Stem Cell Network A multidisciplinary forum of scientists and clinicians advancing stem cell biology into identifiable health benefits.
• UK National Stem Cell Network Promotes research activities and events at the national level to speed the translation of basic stem cell research into therapeutic applications in the control of degenerative diseases.

Professional Associations

• American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) The AAAS policy brief on stem cell research.
• American Medical Association (AMA) Provides information on the basics of stem cell research and highlights relevant policy developments.
• American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) Facilitates the exchange of scientific knowledge about cell biology by disseminating research and training students and young investigators.
• American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) FAQs about cloning, stem cell research, and ASRM's position on the issues.
• Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) Seeks to help biomedical and life scientists improve people's health, well-being, and productivity.
• The International Cord Blood Society (ICBS) Dedicated to the advancement of stem cell research with an emphasis on umbilical cord blood stem cells.
• International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) Works to exchange information on stem cells, encourage research involving stem cells, and educate the public in all areas of stem cell research and application.
• Society for Hematology and Stem Cells (ISEH) A forum for the presentation and discussion of pre-clinical data in experimental hematology.

Related Federal Government Sites

• FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research Determines whether stem cells are safe to use in clinical trials.
• Health Resources and Services Administration's The C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program Provides information and support to patients who need a potentially life-saving bone marrow transplant or umbilical cord blood transplant.
• NIDDK Investigator's Guide to Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Provides information for researchers supported by the National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases.
• NIH Bioethics Resources on the Web Contains a broad collage of annotated web links that provide background information and various positions on issues in bioethics.
• The President's Council on Bioethics Advises the President on ethical issues related to advances in biomedical science and technology, including stem cells.

Research Programs at Universities and Institutions

• SENS Research Foundation works to develop, promote and ensure widespread access to rejuvenation biotechnologies which comprehensively address the disabilities and diseases of aging.
• Harvard Stem Cell Institute Supports research into all aspects of stem cell biology, with special emphasis on those areas with the greatest potential for improving human health.
• McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine Established for University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center scientists and clinical faculty working to develop tissue engineering, cellular therapies, biosurgery, and artificial and biohybrid organ devices.
• National Human Neural Stem Cell Resource Provides neural stem cells harvested from the post-natal, post-mortem, human brain to the research community for stem cell research.
• The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) Offers grants, fellowships, and symposia for stem cell researchers; educates the public about stem cells; and establishes collaborative stem cell research facilities.
• Pittsburgh Development Center of Magee-Womens Research Institute Explores the molecular biology of cell function, including the potential of stem cells for treating human disease.
• Sloan-Kettering Institute Part of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, the world's oldest and largest private institution devoted to patient care, education, and research into cancer.
• Stanford University School of Medicine/Institute for Cancer/Stem Cell Biology and Medicine Explains Stanford's involvement and perspective on stem cell issues, with links to related sites.
• Texas A&M University Mesenchymal Stem Cell Distribution Prepares and distributes well-characterized marrow stromal cells (MSCs) derived from adult human and rodent bone marrow using standardized protocols.
• Texas Heart Institute Stem Cell Center Dedicated to the study of adult stem cells and their role in treating cardiovascular disease, including clinical trials (in human patients), as well as many preclinical studies (in the laboratory) using stem cells.
• University of California, San Francisco/Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program Highlights of UCSF human embryonic stem cell research.
• University of Massachusetts: International Stem Cell Registry The Potential of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells
• University of Michigan/A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute Consortium for Stem Cell Therapies The University of Michigan has been a long-time leader in the study of adult stem cells, has bolstered its human embryonic stem cell program, and added a complementary iPS cell research effort. m Cell Institute Works to enhance understanding of stem cells' potential to improve human and animal health.
• University of Minnesota: Stem Cell Institute Works to enhance understanding of stem cells' potential to improve human and animal health.
• University of Pennsylvania: Institute for Regenerative Medicine IRM was created to promote basic discoveries in stem cell biology and regeneration, and to translate those discoveries into new therapies that may alleviate suffering and disease. Additionally, education and outreach at the IRM aims to ensure students from kindergarten through graduate school are exposed to exciting and accurate education about regenerative biology and stem cell research.
• University of Wisconsin/Embryonic Stem Cell Research Scientists at UW-Madison were the first to successfully isolate and culture human embryonic stem cells.