New regulation for clinical stem cell research in China: expected impact and challenges for implementation.

On 22 August 2015 the Chinese National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC; the former Ministry of Health, MOH) have issued the long awaited ‘draft’ regulation on clinical research and applications that involve human stem cells [1–3]. In China, regulation usually starts out as a draft or trial regulation. A draft regulation should be regarded as valid as formal regulation, but it is flexible enough to leave space for change. The document announces the central elements of a regulatory foundation for the clinical translation of stem cell-based medicinal products and procedures. What does China’s future regulation for clinical stem cell trials look like? What challenges can be expected with regard to its implementation? And what impacts will the regulation have for domestic researchers, clinics and corporations in China and at an international level?