In recent years, the ground-breaking field of stem cellbased regenerative medicine has been throwing up the tantalising prospect of potential new therapies for a range of diseases. Adult, autologous stem cells have already been tested in early-phase clinical trials in humans and in some cases are now being examined in longer-term clinical trials. Meanwhile, potential therapies based on embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells (reprogrammed differentiated somatic cells) are still in the basic research phases; their translation to human diseases will depend on the adequate addressing of crucial issues, such as the risk of mutagenesis and malignant transformation. Furthermore, the clinical translation, to humans, of techniques shown to be suitable in animal models of disease may encounter hurdles beyond simple biocompatibility issues. Challenges to be overcome are related, among other things, to the high cost of these techniques, their applicability in acute conditions, ethical concerns over the use of embryonic cells and the need for regulatory approval [2]. There also remain important unanswered questions regarding the engraftment, viability, biology and safety of transplanted stem cells, as well as the feasibility of correlating organ functional information with their presence/absence in the living subject. These are questions that can be addressed through the use of non-invasive imaging of transplanted stem cells in the living subject. Indeed, noninvasive molecular imaging strategies are destined to play an increasingly critical role as the different regenerative therapies are tested for clinical use. Such imaging data can potentially shed light on the interaction of exogenous stem cells with the host organism and provide answers to questions such as the best cell type(s), timing of delivery, dose and delivery route to use. The ideal imaging modality, which will have excellent spatial resolution and molecular sensitivity, should be able to guide the delivery of cells and should serially monitor stem cell fate. Currently, however, no such imaging modality exists. The use of direct labelling, with compounds such as iron oxide or [F]fluorodeoxyglucose, is hindered by concerns that the label may become dissociated from the exogenous stem cell and that this approach may thus not be a reliable means of monitoring long-term cell viability. Conversely, these techniques continue to be a valid method for determining the immediate success of stem cell delivery. Reporter gene imaging, meanwhile, is a “Focus on...” abridgements aim to highlight papers published within the past year and draw extensively on the texts and summaries of the articles referenced. Less recent citations are also included when deemed useful to provide background information on the topic reviewed.