At present, stem cell technology has become a hot topic in the biopharmaceutical industry and one of the most promising research fields for transformation. What are the functions of stem cells? How to promote the standardization and application of stem cell research and application in China? Recently, China's first national standard for human derived stem cells, the "Technical Specification for the Management of Multifunctional Stem Cells in Biological Sample Banks" (GB/T 42466-2023) (hereinafter referred to as the "Specification"), was officially released. The "Specification" covers aspects such as stem cell collection and reception, resuscitation and culture, freezing and storage, and quality control. The release of this national standard marks the establishment of standard technical support for the management of stem cell sample banks in China, which is of great significance for the development of stem cell technology and provides a leading demonstration for the formulation of subsequent relevant standards in the field of stem cells. What is the role of "universal cell"? "Stem cell is a kind of cell with self replication and multi-directional differentiation potential, which can participate in cell replacement and tissue regeneration." Bian Xiuwu, academician of the CAS Member, director of Jinfeng Laboratory, and chairman of the China Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Collaborative Innovation Platform, said that stem cells are also known as "universal cells". The two characteristics of stem cells are like the two abilities of Sun Wukong. The first is that once a hair is blown, it will become another identical monkey - stem cells have similar replication and regeneration capabilities, and can produce the same cells as themselves; The second type is the "seventy-two transformation", where stem cells can change their morphology and differentiate into other tissue cells. According to different cell sources, stem cells can be divided into embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, and adult stem cells. Stem cells have always existed in the human body, but their differentiation ability decreases with age. There are many stem cells in our body that can help us maintain health. During this process, stem cells will continue to grow, then mature and be replaced, "Bian Xiuwu said. The research and application of stem cell technology can help humans explore the mysteries of life, and is also of great significance for the treatment of many diseases and the development and screening of new drugs. Stem cells have great clinical application value, but it does not mean that stem cells can solve all problems. Bian Xiuwu stated that the causes of some diseases are not yet clear, and in addition, research on stem cells is not yet in-depth enough. Different diseases, individuals, and organs require different stem cells. It is urgent to establish unified standards for research and application. Currently, stem cell research is a cutting-edge and hot topic in the field of life sciences. The development of cell therapy in China is relatively short, but it is full of enthusiasm. In recent years, Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Shenzhen and other places have been vigorously developing the cell therapy industry. In 2022, Shanghai launched the "Shanghai Action Plan for Promoting Cell Therapy Technology Innovation and Industrial Development (2022-2024)", proposing to strive for the scale of Shanghai's cell therapy industry to reach 10 billion yuan by 2024; In the same year, Shenzhen successively released documents supporting the development of the biopharmaceutical industry, focusing on supporting the high-quality development of industrial clusters, including cell therapy drugs. At present, China's stem cell industry chain is divided into three parts: upstream, midstream, and downstream. Upstream mainly involves stem cell collection and storage