Magic realism: a Latin American paradigm for stem cell research & development?

Rigorous testing of cell therapies in South America struggles with emerging opportunities and regulatory deficiencies. As in other continents, these tend to be permissive with commercial opportunism but stifling for research. We describe a successful biotechnological entrepreneurship, born from within an academic institution, to foster science and promote translational research. Sustainability, however, requires a more complex niche, and realistic contributions from investors, state agencies, and legislators. An added level of complexity is required to enable multicentric studies. Herein we succinctly describe some of the most urgent challenges that the deployment of cell therapy faces in Chile. If this is truly an aspiration, fantasy should not be allowed to direct regulatory agents or legislators, and our Latin American Magic realism should remain within the realm of literary fiction.