12 December 2011, UCS Waterfront Building
This summit on Regenerative Medicine comprises of specially invited world-leading scientists, regulatory experts and major political figures from Europe and beyond. It aims to deal with the challenges that this emerging field is facing. The scientific background is described below.
The ideal treatment of organs and tissues destroyed by disease or trauma is their replacement with living tissue. Regenerative medicine may be considered a natural extension of biopharmaceutical technology; its therapeutic aspects encompass a wide range of technologies including stem cell technology, tissue engineering, medical devices, drug delivery, genetic engineering, imaging and cell tracking. Stem cell technology promises development of such therapies based on the fundamental properties of these cells, self-renewal, plasticity, differentiation, engraftment and regeneration.
While experimental and clinical results suggest that stem cell derived therapies are feasible and beneficial, the consensus of the scientific community is that efficacy and safety is proven only on a case-by-case basis. In particular, the challenges associated with the monitoring of cell activity and location in the human body to meet the stringent regulatory requirements of safety and control are significant.
Enormous advances have been made in our understanding of stem cell function in the last decade. Translating this understanding into therapeutically feasible products will require concerted effort and partnering between academic, medical and industrial bodies, in combination with supportive government regulations and funding.
Now it is time for leading experts and managers from the UK, Italy and beyond to discuss possible innovative solutions in handling these issues. The summit aims to create the opportunity to share best-practice, strategies of implementation and future perspectives in developing this emerging industry. Its expected outcome is to reach a common understanding of the potential solutions available to cope with the critical unresolved scientific, ethical, legal and regulatory challenges associated with translating the promise of regenerative medicine into clinical practice.
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