Regenerative Medicine in the Institute of Developmental Sciences
Centre for Human Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration
“Translating pioneering developmental and stem cell science for patient benefit”
Thanks to the huge steps forward we have made in human medicine in modern times we are living longer and healthier lives. So much so, in fact, that by 2020 more than 20% of the UK population will be over 65!
But as we get older, our organs and tissue are more likely to wear out. Sometimes we may get so ill or injured that tissues and organs need replacing completely. Surgeons may try and do this by transplanting tissue from one person to another, but often there simply aren’t enough replacement tissues or organs to go round.
Scientists, like our team at the Centre for Human Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration, are trying to understand how tissues regenerate and how stem cells contribute to these processes. In doing so, we’re working out ways to grow replacement body parts in the lab or to stimulate the body to make its own replacement tissue.
Our group, founded in 2004, is a close-knit team of 15 groups working at the boundaries of medicine, engineering, and fundamental biology. We’ve pioneered the use of human embryonic tissues to study normal and abnormal human development, and used insights form these studies to develop stem cell research. We’re now carrying this fundamental science through to developing new treatments that patients can benefit from in the clinic.
Recent successes include the first titanium-bone stem cell impaction bone graft operation in the UK and our being one of the first groups in the world to show the important of epigenetics in the development of osteoarthritis.
We’re also contributing to the next generation of regenerative medicine experts through our innovative MRes in Stem Cells, Development & Regenerative Medicine and an exciting programme of public outreach.
