{"id":14473,"date":"2021-09-03T10:02:28","date_gmt":"2021-09-03T09:02:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/?p=14473"},"modified":"2024-06-26T17:03:26","modified_gmt":"2024-06-26T16:03:26","slug":"addressing-translational-challenges-regenerative-medicine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/addressing-translational-challenges-regenerative-medicine\/14473\/","title":{"rendered":"Addressing the key translational challenges of regenerative medicine"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sophie Mountcastle, Science Manager of the UK Regenerative Medicine Platform, describes the current regenerative medicine landscape in the UK.<\/h2>\n

Regenerative medicine is an interdisciplinary field spanning tissue engineering, developmental and stem cell biology, gene therapy, cellular therapeutics, biomaterials, nanoscience, bioengineering, and chemical biology. It seeks to repair or replace damaged or diseased human cells or tissues to restore normal function. This may be done via the transplantation of stem cells, progenitors or tissues, through activation of endogenous repair processes, by using cells as delivery vehicles for therapeutic agents or employing engineered cells (synthetic\/engineering biology).<\/p>\n

The UK has a leading position globally in the field of regenerative medicine research, with substantial expertise and infrastructure, leading to high quality and innovative outputs. Strengths in the UK landscape include access to many resources to support regenerative medicine research. It moves from fundamental stem cell biology to translating and commercialising technologies: for example, the UK Stem Cell Bank, the Cell & Gene Therapy Catapult, and the Advanced Therapy Treatment Centres.<\/p>\n

The field has been rapidly evolving over the past decade. Researchers have reported many significant findings and new technologies for therapeutic applications. These include substantial milestones such as approvals for the first clinical trials containing human embryonic stem cells and human pluripotent stem cells in 2011 and 2014, respectively. Advancements are being made in cell-based therapies for various conditions, such as Parkinson\u2019s disease, liver disease, and sight disorders. A range of novel scaffolds is under development for musculoskeletal repair.<\/p>\n

Challenges in regenerative medicine<\/h3>\n

Despite this fast pace and exciting developments, there are key challenges\/knowledge gaps still facing the field, such as:<\/p>\n