The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) today announced a new partnership with the Nuffield Council on Bioethics (NCOB) to conduct an ambitious international horizon scan focused on the future of stem cell science and its ethical implications. The initiative will help signal and inform updates to the ISSCR Guidelines for Stem Cell Research and Clinical Translation and guide the Society’s broader public policy agenda.

The International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) has issued a landmark Position Paper identifying critical global barriers to osteoporosis care and calling for urgent change to improve access to effective fracture prevention strategies. Endorsed by more than 85 national and global organizations in the field, the paper identifies a number of key obstacles, including limited availability of bone density (DXA) scanning, outdated treatment criteria that rely solely on bone mineral density (BMD), and confusion surrounding diagnostic versus intervention thresholds. It urges a paradigm shift in how bone health in older age, including osteoporosis, is managed worldwide. 

Rapid developments in artificial intelligence (AI) are leading to profound changes in research and development as well as in society and everyday life. Machines now analyse huge amounts of data, and assist with image and text creation, medical diagnoses, and decision-making processes. This year’s Annual Assembly of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina focuses on the opportunities and risks associated with these developments. In Halle (Saale)/Germany on Thursday 25 and Friday 26 September, international experts will discuss the progress that artificial intelligence has made, the ways in which various AI applications are revolutionising research, and the resulting challenges facing society.