Cell Stem Cell (journal)

Cell Stem Cell (journal) is a monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal focusing on stem cell research, regenerative medicine, developmental biology, and related biomedical fields. Launched by Cell Press in 2007, the journal publishes original research articles, reviews, and perspectives that intersect with translational science, clinical investigation, and biotechnology. Its readership spans researchers at institutions such as Harvard University, Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and healthcare centers like Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins Hospital.

History

The journal was established in 2007 by Cell Press during a period of rapid growth in stem cell research following landmark developments at institutions such as University of Wisconsin–Madison and University of California, San Diego. Early editorial leadership included figures connected to institutions like Howard Hughes Medical Institute and collaborations with investigators from Kyoto University and University of Cambridge. Its founding coincided with high-profile events involving stem cell policy debates in the United States and international meetings such as the International Society for Stem Cell Research conferences. Over the ensuing decade the journal tracked advances including induced pluripotent stem cell techniques pioneered at RIKEN and clinical translation efforts at centers like Cleveland Clinic and UCSF Medical Center.

Scope and editorial content

The journal covers basic and translational topics linked to pluripotency, lineage specification, organoid models, and cell-based therapies. Authors frequently hail from laboratories at University of Oxford, California Institute of Technology, ETH Zurich, Max Planck Society, and biotech firms including Novartis, Roche, and Genentech. Article types encompass original research, reviews, perspectives, technical reports, and commentaries involving methods such as CRISPR gene editing developed at Broad Institute and single-cell sequencing approaches advanced at Wellcome Sanger Institute. The editorial board has included scientists with affiliations to Columbia University, Yale University, Peking University, Imperial College London, and major funding bodies like the National Institutes of Health, European Research Council, and Wellcome Trust.

Abstracting and indexing

The journal is abstracted and indexed in major bibliographic databases used by academics and clinicians at organizations such as PubMed Central, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase. Its contents are discoverable in platforms run by companies like Clarivate, Elsevier, and Google Scholar, and are included in institutional subscriptions managed by university libraries at Princeton University, University of Chicago, and University of Toronto. Metadata feeds support integration with reference managers such as EndNote, Zotero, and Mendeley and are harvested by aggregators affiliated with consortia like Jisc and Association of Research Libraries.

Impact and reception

The journal has been cited by landmark papers from groups affiliated with Stanley B. Prusiner-era neurology studies, translational trials at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and stem cell policy analyses published by think tanks like The Hastings Center. Its articles contribute to clinical protocols at centers such as Mount Sinai Medical Center and inform regulatory deliberations at agencies including the Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency. The journal’s perceived prestige places it alongside titles from Nature Publishing Group, Science, and The Lancet, and it has been discussed in science coverage by outlets like Nature (journal), Science Magazine, The New York Times, and The Guardian.

Publishing and access model

Published by Cell Press, the journal operates on a hybrid model combining subscription access and open access options, aligning with funder mandates from organizations such as the Wellcome Trust, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and European Commission. Authors are subject to peer review coordinated by editors with ties to institutions like Duke University and University College London, and the journal supports data-sharing standards echoed by repositories including Gene Expression Omnibus, ArrayExpress, and figshare. Production workflows involve manuscript submission systems used across scholarly publishing, and licensing choices reflect agreements similar to those negotiated by university consortia such as CRKN and SCOAP3.

Category:Academic journals Category:Biology journals Category:Stem cell research