ISSCR News
ISSCR Remembers Pete Coffey
The global stem cell community mourns the loss of Professor Pete Coffey, a world-renowned eye researcher. Professor Coffey pioneered regenerative treatments for vision loss, including the landmark London Project to Cure Blindness, and authored key studies demonstrating the potential of stem cell-derived therapies for age-related macular degeneration. His groundbreaking 2018 clinical study, published in Nature Biotechnology, provided the first convincing evidence of restored vision using a transplanted pluripotent stem cell product. Widely recognized for his contributions, he received numerous awards, including the CIRM Leadership Award and the Robertson Stem Cell Prize. Professor Coffey passed away last week following a long illness. Dr. Coffey was an active ISSCR member contributing to advocacy efforts on behalf of the field and presenting his work at ISSCR meetings.
ISSCR Remembers James Till
The global stem cell community remembers the life and profound contributions of James Till, who passed away on May 18 at the age of 94. Alongside the late Ernest McCulloch, Dr. Till conducted pioneering research in the 1960s that proved the existence of stem cells, laying the groundwork for bone marrow transplantation, regenerative medicine, and stem cell-based therapies. His transformative discoveries revolutionized biomedical science by identifying blood-forming stem cells and the principle of self-renewal. A dedicated educator and leader, Dr. Till also advanced research in cancer care ethics and patient decision-making. His legacy endures through the many accolades he received and the global impact of his scientific vision and mentorship.
Member Spotlight: Robert Zweigerdt, PhD
Being ISSCR member for 25 years is like being part of the leading global network in stem cell science, which has turned into an “dynamic, growing family” over the years.
New Podcast Episode. Parkinson’s Disease, Cell Therapy, and Exercise
The potential of pluripotent stem cells and the ability to scale and differentiate them to generate large numbers of enriched cell populations has created new opportunities and approaches to treat human disease. Preclinical proof-of-principle data demonstrates that stem cell-derived neural grafts can be used to reverse symptoms of multiple neurological conditions, including Parkinson’s Disease. Cell grafts enriched with dopaminergic neurons, can structurally and functionally integrate in the brain of Parkinson’s Disease models to reverse motor deficits, a finding which has launched several clinical trials. While the results in animal models is essential proof-of-concept, the survival and integration of these cells is suboptimal compared to treatments from fetal-derived ventral midbrain grafts. An area of preclinical and clinical research showing promise in influencing neuronal survival and plasticity is exercise. The benefits of exercise on neural function and disease progression have been widely reported and they have also been shown to enhance the survival and integration of transplanted cells in models of some neurological diseases. However, there is limited data on the benefit of exercise on the functional outcomes of neural grafts in Parkinson’s Disease models. The guests on today’s program will discuss their recent study looking at the effect of exercise on cellular engraftment and functional recovery in animal models of Parkinson’s Disease and the implications for clinical outcomes.
Member Spotlight: Jian Shu, PhD
Decoding the biological "languages" underlying genetic and cellular states remains a major challenge — we aim to build a "Google Translate" to translate and predict different languages in biology.
Receive ISSCR Press Releases
Sign up be a part of ISSCR’s media list. Media Contact: Kym Kilbourne, Director of Media and Strategic Communications
Subscribe to ISSCR News.
Each month, ISSCR delivers scientific, policy, and community to your inbox .