Our research - key MRC investments
MRC Centres involved in stem cell research
MRC centres aim to help universities develop and sustain centres of excellence with clear strategic direction in areas of importance for UK medical research. They are created to provide intellectually stimulating and well-resourced environments which not only are attractive to established researchers but will also encourage the most able young scientists to take up a career and remain in the UK. MRC has two centres of excellence in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine.
- MRC Centre for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine
Cambridge (Director: Professor Roger Pedersen). See also the linked Wellcome Trust Institute for Stem Cell Research in Cambridge (Director: Austin Smith) - MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine
Edinburgh (Director: Professor Charles ffrench-Constant)
MRC Units and Institutes involved in stem cell research
The MRC has 28 units and 3 institutes in the UK which provide a tailored environment in which long term support can flourish, providing researchers with flexibility to engage in innovative research. Some of these have significant programmes of stem cell research.
- National Institute for Medical Research London (Director: Professor Jim Smith) – the Divisions of Stem Cell Biology and Developmental Genetics, Developmental Biology and Molecular Neurobiology have programmes that study the role of stem and progenitor cells in early embryonic and neural development and sex determination.
- Clinical Sciences Centre London (Director: Professor Amanda Fisher) – Section of Epigenetic Development and Cancer has an emphasis on stem cell development and its consequences on gene regulation, DNA replication and chromosome organisation.
- Molecular Haematology Unit University of Oxford (Director: Professor Doug Higgs) – studies how haematopoietic stem cells develop and differentiate as a basis for developing new therapeutic approaches for blood disorders.
UK Stem Cell Bank
The UK Stem Cell Bank (Director: Dr Glyn Stacey) is responsible for storing, characterising and supplying ethically-approved, quality-controlled human stem cell lines for medical research and treatment. Located at the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC), it is a repository for stem cells derived from embryonic as well as fetal and adult tissues and is open to scientists in the UK and overseas.
MRC awards in stem cell and regenerative medicine research
The Research Portfolio is an interactive online resource that lists all research currently funded by the MRC. The facility can be searched and information on the institution, the funding value and the abstract retrieved for all research funded by the MRC or jointly with other funders.
Details of awards made through specific TSCRC calls
Derivation of Clinical-grade Stem Cells awards 2007/08
- Dr D R Brison, University of Manchester, “Derivation of clinical grade embryonic stem cell lines in Manchester” £1.2m
- Professor H Moore, University of Sheffield, “Derivation of clinical grade human embryonic stem cell lines for therapeutic applications” £1.1m
- Professor P Braude, King’s College London, “Derivation of clinical grade embryonic stem cell lines” £484k
Pre-clinical Stem Cell Research awards 2009
- Prof D Edgar, University of Liverpool, “Development nanoparticle-based techniques to monitor differentiating neural stem cells after transplantation” £255k
- Dr P Fairchild, University of Oxford, “The Immunobiology of Stem Cell Transplantation” £526k
- Prof C ffrench-Constant, University of Edinburgh, “Development of retinal transplantation as an animal model to test stem cell therapies for myelin diseases” £265k
- Prof S Marino, Queen Mary University of London, “Activation of Bmi1 expression as a tool to increase self-renewal of myogenic satellite cells in ageing and disease” £439k
- Dr M Modo, King's College London, “Molecular and cellular imaging of transplanted cells in Huntingtons disease” £270k
- Dr P Newsome, University of Birmingham, “Pre-clinical study of hepatocyte transplantation using human embryonic stem cell-derived hepatocytes” £543k
- Prof M Sieber-Blum, Newcastle University, “Human Epidermal Neural Crest Stem Cells” £414k
MRC-BHF Strategic Developments in Stem Cell Research awards 2010
- Professor M Schneider, Imperial College, “MRC-BHF Cardiosvascular Stem Cell Research Strategic Development Grant” £1.2m
- Professor C Kielty, University of Manchester, “Cell-matrix biology of the vascular progenitor cell niche” £742k
- Professor Roger Pedersen, MRC Centre for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Cambridge, “Strategic development of stem cell-based therapies for vascular disease” £742k