The full potential of global stem cell research

Image from CSIRO

According to University of Edinburgh, the stem cell research sector is growing more than twice as fast (7%) as the global research average (2.9%). The report was jointly prepared by a consortium that included the EU-funded EUROSTEMCELL project and was discussed at the recent World Stem Cell Summit in San Diego, US. It reveals positive findings about the development of stem cell research.

For example, stem cell publications are 50% more cited than the world average for all related subject areas. Around half of all stem cell papers use keywords related to "drug development" or "regenerative medicine". Reflecting the field's ongoing development and clinical promise, 47% of stem cell publications used keywords related to regenerative medicine, while 2% used keywords related to drug development. Singapore, Italy, the USA, Japan, and Israel demonstrated the highest level of activity in stem cell research, while the US and China have the highest volume.

Stem cells are cells that replenish stocks of specialised cells that have been used up or damaged. They can continuously produce copies of themselves as well as other more specialised cell types. This makes them hugely interesting to science and to medicine in particular. Some of the most serious medical conditions, such as cancer and birth defects, are due to abnormal cell division and differentiation. A better understanding of the genetic and molecular controls of these processes may yield information about how such diseases arise and suggest new strategies for therapy. This is an important goal of stem cell research.

This report gives us a bird's eye view of the international stem cell field, drawing on advanced bibliometric techniques to identify national and international trends. "The aim of this report was to support development in stem cell science and policy discussion by bringing together comprehensive analytical overview of the fields together with insights from experts," said Nick Fowler, Managing Director of Academic and Government Institutions for Elsevier. "It has been extremely interesting to analyse these data. We hope readers will gain a new understanding of the shape of the field that will stimulate future policy discussions."

Data Source Provider:University of Edinburgh, UK