Disparities in Racial and Ethnic Representation in Stem Cell Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov (CTG) provides integrated access to structured records of thousands of randomized clinical trials (RCT). CTG functionality allows download of the entire dataset in XML format for further knowledge discovery and analytics. This study represents an instructive use case of utilizing this functionality for identifying patient representation disparities in stem cell RCTs. The goal of this study was to determine the racial and ethnic composition of stem cell clinical trials and to identify potential disparities in minority representation. The clinical trial registration portal ClinicalTrials.gov was queried to identify stem cell trials and to compare their racial and ethnic composition to the US population data. Based on our analysis of 248 available trials, we have concluded that not all races and ethnicities are adequately represented in US stem cell trials; thus, concerted efforts are warranted for more inclusive representation of minorities in future stem cell trials.