Science Policy and Ethics Studies Unit

The field of stem cell research has received a great deal of attention due to the combination of fundamental scientific interest, therapeutic promise, and commercial potential it entails. But it has also been surrounded by legal, social, and ethical tensions across a broad range of issues, from the research use of human embryos to the optimization of pathways for the translation of basic research into clinical applications. We will seek to compare different science policy approaches to these issues and identify regulatory frameworks best suited to the development and promulgation of stem cell applications. We will further explore social and ethical perspectives on the translation of human stem cell research, with an emphasis on the Asia-Pacific region.

Research Subjects

• Stem cells and regenerative medicine in the Asia-Pacific region.
• Global issues in unregulated stem cell treatments
• Regulatory issues in developmet of stem cell clinical applications

Publications

1. Kiatpongsan, S and Sipp, D.:
   "Monitoring and regulating offshore stem cell clinics"
   Science 323. 1564-5 (March 20, 2009)
2. Sipp, D.:
   "Stem cell research in Asia: A critical view."
   Journal of Cellular Biochemistry 107. 853-6 (2009)
3. Sipp, D.:
   "Issues in stem cells in Asia and SNAP decisions."
   International Journal of Hematology 90. 278-9 (2009)
4. Sipp, D.:
   "Gold standards in the Diamond Age: The commodification of pluripotency."
   Cell Stem Cell 5. 360-3 (2009)
5. Sipp, D.:
   "Stem cells and regenerative medicine on the Asian horizon."
   Regenerative Medicine 4. 911-8 (2009)
6. Sipp, D.:
   "Consensus Guidance for Banking and Supply of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Lines for Research Purposes. International Cell Banking Initiative."
   Stem Cell Reviews and Reports 5. 301-14 (2009)
7. Sipp, D.:
   "Stem cell based medical innovation and its ethical aspects. Book chapter in: "Translational stem cell research: Navigating out of the fog."
   Springer (2010)
8. Sipp, D and Turner, L.:
   "U.S. Regulation of Stem Cells as Medical Products"
   Science 338 no. 6112 pp. 1296-1297 (Dec 7, 2012)
9. Sipp, D.:
   "Pay-to-participate funding schemes in human cell and tissue clinical studies"
   Regen Med. 2012 Nov;7(6 Suppl):105-11 (2012)
10. Sipp, D.:
    "The unregulated commercialization of stem cell treatments: a global perspective."
    Front Med. 2011 Dec;5(4):348-55 (2011)