Stem cells down under-ISSCR 2007.

Cairns, Queensland, Australia provided the venue for the 5th annual meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR), June 17-20, 2007. Consonant with the young society's mission to serve the international stem cell community, this meeting was the first held outside North America. The meeting drew attendees from 44 countries, with excellent representation from the Asia/Pacific region. The more than 120 presentations and 1000 posters covered virtually all aspects of the stem cell field and provided a snapshot of current areas of investigation. Here we review some of the newest findings in an effort to convey the energy and excitement of the meeting and the tempo of stem cell science.