The
field of cellular therapeutics is vast, affording an exciting
array of potential applications. With a network of researchers
and clinicians who are developing myriad treatments for many
genetic conditions, as well as diseased, mechanically injured
or metabolically deficient tissues, the McGowan Institute's
Cellular Therapies Program is squarely at the center of this
fast-growing field of regenerative medicine.
In the area of mechanically injured tissues, Institute researchers are attempting to repair bone fractures, injured muscle (including damaged heart muscle), and damaged organs such as the liver, kidney and pancreas. Genetic disorders, including Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and Gauche's Disease, and cancers, such as leukemia and lymphoma, will also benefit from cellular therapeutics research at the Institute.
A critical question guiding much of this work is which cell type to use for each area of research. Differentiated (specialized) cells, non-differentiated progenitor cells, and stem cells each present unique benefits and drawbacks, and each day yields new insights into their advantages and disadvantages. limited availability, as well as restricted use of embryonic stem cells, spurred Institute researchers to identify other sources of cells capable of differentiating to serve various needs. For example, a particular type of adult muscle-derived stem cell, isolated by Institute Deputy Director Johnny Huard, PhD, Associate Professor, Orthopaedic Surgery, Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, and Bioengineering has demonstrated the potential to differentiate into many distinct cells types, including muscle, bone and cartilage, and represents a great hope for treating Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, as well as restoring functionality to muscle that is otherwise diseased or damaged.