Importing human pluripotent stem cell lines derived at another institution: tailoring review to ethical concerns.

Stem cell researchers commonly use human pluripotent stem cell lines derived by other investigators. Researchers may use lines derived elsewhere, provided that their derivation met consensus core standards. Some types of derivation raise heightened levels of ethical concern and require greater scrutiny. To maintain public trust, research institutions need to justify why they allow researchers to use lines whose derivation would not have been permitted locally.