World-leading research into Regenerative Medicine pioneered at The University of Nottingham has taken a step closer to creating a new kind of healthcare industry.
An £8.3 million Centre for Innovative Manufacturing is to be set up to develop the products and systems that will allow doctors and clinicians to administer new regenerative treatments for chronic disease and age-related health problems.
Regenerative Medicine uses groundbreaking therapies like stem cell treatment and tissue engineering, with pharmaceutical therapies and surgical techniques involving new medical devices. It is creating new treatments to allow damaged, diseased or defective tissues to work normally again. Now the research is at the stage where a bespoke manufacturing and translational research arm is vitally needed to develop the products and techniques that are being pioneered.
To that end, The University of Nottingham has teamed up with colleagues at the Universities of Loughborough and Keele to establish the new Centre, thanks to funding from the government’s research funding body, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and industry partners. The Centre, to be led by Loughborough, is one of three new Innovative Manufacturing Research Centres announced by Business Secretary, Lord Mandelson to help UK businesses and research institutions develop the technology products of the future.
One example of a current Regenerative Medicine research project at The University of Nottingham is the use of skeletal stem cells to make new bone grow faster and stronger after a fracture. The research has already helped to produce polymer materials that fill the space left by trauma — such as a break or the removal of a tumour. These materials temporarily support the wound and provide a surface for the body's own stem cells to migrate to, encouraging new blood vessels and bone tissue to grow.
The new Manufacturing Centre will develop the clinical and production opportunities for this type of cutting edge medicine to translate the research into real-life healthcare solutions available, through industry, to clinicians and patients across the world. One of its many important functions will be to investigate the methods needed to produce and manufacture high volumes of stem cells which are the basis for many successful techniques of Regenerative Medicine.
Professor of Advanced Drug Delivery and Tissue Engineering at The University of Nottingham, Kevin Shakesheff said: “The Nottingham teams who will be part of the new Centre have pioneered important new science in tissue engineering. By working with Loughborough, Keele and the numerous commercial partners that form the Centre we will accelerate the difficult translation of this new science into new products, originated in the East Midlands, that address worldwide medical needs.”
Professor of Healthcare Engineering at Loughborough, David Williams, added: “Without doubt, RM has massive potential — especially for tackling chronic, debilitating conditions like heart disease and arthritis that will become increasingly prevalent due to our ageing population. Yet it’s not enough simply to come up with clever ideas for curing such conditions. It’s about translating ideas into safe, affordable, cost-effective treatments that combine life-changing impact for patients with maximum commercial value.”
Professor David Delpy, Chief Executive of EPSRC, the UK’s largest government agency for scientific research and skills, said: “EPSRC’s new manufacturing centres will focus on areas of pioneering research that have the potential to create new industries and new jobs for the UK.”
The Centre will launch in mid-2010 and will fund a team of more than 12 scientists and engineers over a four year period. It hopes to attract inward investment by offering world leading translational skills to companies in the regenerative medicine field.
For more information, visit: www.nottingham.ac.uk