The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) officially opens its annual meeting tonight in Vancouver with a public session called “The Real Deal on Stem Cell Therapies.” These preview sessions for the public have become a tradition for the association and generally focus on helping the lay public sort out the legitimate science from the many questionable claims in the field.

The four-day scientific sessions are the largest gathering of stem cell researchers each year with more than 3,000 expected in Vancouver. It provides critical opportunities for scientists to share information and gather informally over coffee or drinks to bounce around ideas. These chats often result in collaborations that accelerate the science.

My colleague Kevin McCormack and I will be roaming the meeting looking for trends and breakthroughs in the science and writing them up quickly for this blog. The first post will be Wednesday morning reporting on tonight’s public event. Other posts are likely to cover progress toward clinical trails in Parkinson’s Disease, diabetes and spinal cord injury, among others.

Our coverage of last year’s public session is here, and one trend we spotted last year was a recognition of the vital importance of the environment where stem cells are grown if you want them to mature into the desired tissue.

Looking forward to spotting new trends over the next few days.

Don Gibbons