This paper discusses the privacy challenges associated with cell therapy research and related innovations. A review of privacy issues identified in the academic literature reveals both theoretical and practical challenges. The author considers the governance of privacy issues in this context by Canadian legislative, jurisprudential and ethical privacy frameworks, paying particular attention to the application of data protection legislation to tissue research. The author briefly examines relevant international instruments and the approaches by the United Kingdom and the United States. The current Canadian regulatory framework, as applied to cell therapy research, fails to provide robust, comprehensive privacy protection.