title: First Proposal of Minimum Information About a Cellular Assay for Regenerative Medicine.
abstract: : Advances in stem cell research have triggered scores of studies in regenerative medicine in a large number of institutions and companies around the world. However, reproducibility and data exchange among laboratories or cell banks are constrained by the lack of a standardized format for experiments. To enhance information flow in stem cell and derivative cell research, here we propose a minimum information standard to describe cellular assay data to facilitate practical regenerative medicine. Based on the existing Minimum Information About a Cellular Assay, we developed Minimum Information About a Cellular Assay for Regenerative Medicine (MIACARM), which allows for the description of advanced cellular experiments with defined taxonomy of human cell types. By using controlled terms, such as ontologies, MIACARM will provide a platform for cellular assay data exchange among cell banks or registries that have been established at more than 20 sites in the world.
  
  
  
  Currently, there are more than 20 human cell information storage sites around the world. However, reproducibility and data exchange among different laboratories or cell information providers are usually inadequate or nonexistent because of the lack of a standardized format for experiments. This study, which is the fruit of collaborative work by scientists at stem cell banks and cellular information registries worldwide, including those in the U.S., the U.K., Europe, and Japan, proposes new minimum information guidelines, Minimum Information About a Cellular Assay for Regenerative Medicine (MIACARM), for cellular assay data deposition. MIACARM is intended to promote data exchange and facilitation of practical regenerative medicine.
authors.affiliation: Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Kunie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sakurai
authors.affiliation: Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kurtz
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, an Operating Centre of the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, South Mimms, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Glyn
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stacey
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics and Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sheldon
authors.affiliation: Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan fujibuchi-g@cira.kyoto-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Wataru
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fujibuchi
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D044968:Regenerative Medicine / Q000592:standards*; D012042:Registries; D057905:Stem Cell Research; D013234:Stem Cells; D014015:Tissue Banks
keywords: Biological specimen banks; Information sharing; Quality control; Regenerative medicine; Standards; Stem cells