Regenerative medicine and stem cells
Regenerative medicine is an interdisciplinary approach that seeks to repair or replace damaged or diseased human cells or tissues to restore normal function, which holds the promise of revolutionising patient care in the 21st century. It may involve:
- transplantation of stem cells, progenitor cells or tissue
- stimulation of the body's own repair processes
- the use of cells as delivery-vehicles for therapeutic agents
such as genes, cytokines and small molecules
- cell engineering and synthetic biology
All regenerative medicine strategies depend upon the harnessing, stimulation or guidance of endogenous developmental or repair processes. Accordingly, stem cell research plays a central role in regenerative medicine, which also spans the disciplines of tissue engineering, developmental cell biology, cellular therapeutics, gene therapy, biomaterials (scaffolds and matrices), chemical biology and nanotechnology. Promoting stem cell research and regenerative medicine is a priority for MRC, and the following section provides a portal to further information on this topic, covering areas of interest to both the scientific and non-expert audience.
- Our research - key investments
- Strategic initiatives
- Funding opportunities
- Resources for researchers
- Regulation and governance
- Publications - reviews and reports
