Though promoted as the next pillar of medical care, stem cell research has yet to make a major clinical impact. After an extremely difficult period in the late 90’s and the early 2000’s, the potential for clinical translation of stem cell therapies has been portrayed in a more positive light for the past three years. However, evidence demonstrates that the recovery of the stem cell industry is still incomplete and that recent success has been modest. There is still considerable reluctance to invest in stem cell research. One of the factors causing this reluctance is the uncertainty surrounding stem cell patents. In this paper we discuss the impact of patents on stem cell research and propose an anticipatory governance/real-time monitoring platform to promote the technology transfer of stem cell research. This approach would provide an ideal framework to anticipate hurdles raised by patents, select reflexive strategies and develop a shared vision of the role intellectual property should play in the clinical translation of stem cell research.
