The results achieved in stem cell research during the last decades demonstrate rapid progress and the increased importance of stem cells in both basic research and the long-term future of modern medicine. Stem cell research has become a highly vigorous and rapidly evolving field in life sciences after the discovery of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), reprogrammed adult cells. With the remarkable capacity of self-renewal and differentiation into more specialized cell lineages, iPSCs constitute a promising resource in transplantation and regenerative medicine, while, due to their immune-modulatory characteristics, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are an attractive option for improving the treatment of immune-mediated disorders.

However, it is important to highlight the fact that despite the enormous scientific progress in this field, there are no stem cells that provide a cure for everything and everyone. Thus, the research process should foster ever closer dialogue between basic researches and clinical investigation protocols in order to improve bench-to-bedside translation of stem cell therapies. Accordingly, in this special issue, we invite investigators to contribute with original research articles as well as review articles that may provide novel insights in this field.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in MSC-based treatment of immune-mediated diseases
• Organ specific stem cells: a new hope in transplantation medicine
• MSC-mediated modulation of local and systemic inflammation
• Human iPSCs as a platform for transplantation medicine
• Stem cell-mediated control of crosstalk between angiogenesis and inflammation in tissue repair
• Stem cells and tissue engineering: new approaches to accelerate bench-to-bedside transition after organ transplantation
• Strategies for overcoming limitations of MSC-based modulation of immune response
• Stem cells and organ transplantation: opportunities and challenges