Ancestral Background Is Underreported in Regenerative Engineering.

Purpose: The ancestral background of human cells may play a role in cells' behavior and response to therapeutic interventions in vitro. We investigate the prevalence of ancestry reporting in current biological research and suggest that increased reporting would be beneficial to the field.

Methods: Articles published over a six-month period in ten different journals were reviewed for their use of human primary cells and immortalized cell lines, and were analyzed based on whether or not the ancestral or ethnic information of cell donors was ascertainable.