Stem cell and tissue engineering research in the Islamic republic of Iran.

During the last few years, the Islamic republic of Iran has consistently grown in nearly all scientific fields and achieved considerable success in producing science and developing technology. The Iranian government and scientific community have jointly started programs to support the creation of new scientific opportunities and technology platforms for research in the domain of stem cell and tissue engineering. In addition, clinical translation of basic researches in the fields of stem cell and regenerative medicine has been amongst the top priorities. Interestingly, the public sector, media, and authorities are also actively monitoring these attainments. In spite of this nationwide interest, however, there is currently a dearth of analytical information on these accomplishments. To address this issue, here we introduce the key decisions made by the country's policy makers and also review some of the Iranian researchers' publications in this field.