By J Ben Sykes

The United Kingdom (UK) currently enjoys a solid position amongst the world leaders in stem cell research, translation and regenerative medicine. Indeed, by some measures, such as the number of regenerative medicine companies established, it is second only to the United States. The essential reasons for this lie in its strong research tradition, backed by excellent Government support (particularly in recent years) and a number of key scientific, legislative and policy developments which are unique to the UK and which have paved the way, particularly for embryonic stem cell research. UK stem cell researchers have also proved adept at collaborating with overseas partners from across the globe.