Hoffman will discuss what stem cells are, the diseases that cell therapies and regenerative medicine can treat, and highlights in stem cell research. Highlights include James Thomson’s isolation of human embryonic stem cells in 1998 and Shinya Yamanaka and Thomson’s discovery of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) from adult tissues in 2007. Adult stem cells, embryonic stem cells, and iPS cells currently in cell therapy clinical trials will be reviewed. Hoffman will explore the ethical debate surrounding the use of human embryonic stem cells in research, human cloning, and “designer” children. Finally, he will talk about the direct-to-consumer stem cell industry in the U.S. and “stem cell tourism” around the world.