Redefining our biology: the UK's regenerative medicine sector

Regenerative medicine is set to revolutionise 21st century healthcare.

Regenerative medicine - the science of replacing or regenerating damaged or diseased tissue and controlling or reversing degenerations of the human body - is set to revolutionise 21st century healthcare.

Real strides are being made in regenerative technologies, which include tissue engineering, stem cell therapy and gene therapy, at a time when people in the developing world are living longer, resulting in a rise in degenerative diseases.

Regulatory and funding support

Thanks to its supportive regulatory and funding environment, academic excellence and ability to move research from the clinic and on to market, the UK is a world-leader in regenerative medicine. In fact, the UK has been at the forefront of the science from the outset when, in 1981, researchers led by Nobel-Prize winning Sir Martin Evans at the University of Cambridge famously isolated mouse embryonic stem cells.

Dr Paul De Sousa is a principal investigator at the Edinburgh-based Centre for Regenerative Medicine (CRM) and is certain that the science is crucial to the future of health advances around the world. The CRM was launched in 2008, and is already one of the largest critical masses of basic and clinical researchers in this area in Europe, placing the UK at the forefront of international translational stem cell science. The CRM's £59million state-of-the-art research centre will be completed in 2010, providing its scientists with first-class translational facilities.

"Regenerative medicine forces us to redefine the concept of our biology," says Dr De Sousa. "Transplanting new tissues in order to correct disease or damage is regenerative technology 'mark 1'. 'Mark 2' takes us to the point of being able to direct our own cells to regenerate 'in vivo'. Through regenerative medicine we can cease to be the victims of our inherited biology and are better able to control our future.

UK R&D expertise

The UK Stem Cell Foundation (UKSCF), a registered charity formed in 2006, supports the transfer of promising stem cell techniques from laboratories to patients by funding research. The UK National Stem Cell Research Network (UKNSCN), meanwhile, aspires to integrate and improve the coordination of stem cell research in the UK, and was established two years ago. UKNSCN aims to represent the entire stem cell science community and has a correspondence list of 1500 members, including academics, legal professionals, charities, patient groups, members of the public, industrialists, technology providers and social scientists. Ben Sykes is Co-ordinator of UKNSCN. "The UK's standing in regenerative medicine is certainly on a par with the US," he says. "For example, ReNeuron, based in Guilford, Surrey, received regulatory approval for a phase one clinical trial of a stem cell therapy for stroke. Just around the corner, we hope, will be regulatory approval for the reversal of a very common form of blindness, using human embryonic stem cells, led by Professor Pete Coffey at University College London. So we are at the forefront of developing ground-breaking clinical trials.

Yet some small companies in the regenerative medicine field need more funding and/or commercial partnerships to survive, thus ensuring their knowledge and expertise will advance breakthroughs in this exciting emerging field. This, says Ben Sykes, will "embed the widest possible industry" in the UK - and he also notes that a breadth of world-class scientific and academic talent is here to be utilised. Swedish-headquartered Cellartis, a leader in embryonic stem cell technology, has a base in Dundee; and Sykes points to many overseas universities, including institutions from Germany, Israel, and the USA, that are collaborating on research projects with UK colleagues.

A location of choice

Chris Mason, Professor of Regenerative Medicine Bioprocessing at University College London, agrees with Sykes' assessment. "Regenerative medicine in the UK can't thrive without support and creativity," he says. "We have a fantastic science base which we know big pharmaceutical companies appreciate. That's why, for example, Pfizer has set up its regenerative medicine headquarters in Cambridge.

Remarkable medical advances have been made thanks to the UK's lead in regenerative medicine. Also at University College London, for instance, Professor John Martin has been conducting a clinical trial using autologous bone marrow derived progenitor cells to treat patients with acute heart failure; while Professor Martin Birchall and Professor Anthony Hollander at the University of Bristol were involved in a ground-breaking trachea transplant which made headlines around the world in 2008. "The patient, Claudia Castillo, is now living a normal life," says Ben Sykes. "Before this she had no quality of life, was struggling to care for her children - and was possibly even facing death. Because her own stem cells were used in the operation, her body has not rejected the organ. Claudia's story is a very good example of proof of principle.

The nature of regenerative medicine research means that regulation is key. The UK's regulatory environment encourages innovation and supports responsible research within well-defined and closely monitored parameters. As such it has gained international credibility and global respect for its approach. Says Dr Paul De Sousa: "Excessive regulation can slow the progress of science. But a structured regulatory environment provides an opportunity to engage with - and acquire the support of - the community. Without it, scientists may be the first to cross a medical threshold; but if things go wrong, they can quickly incur a negative public backlash. Just as quickly as you can achieve something, you can find yourself losing the support you once had.

Professor Chris Mason says there has never been a better time to harvest the research opportunities provided by the UK’s stem cell laboratories. He says: "Our scientists are leaders in the field and are continually demonstrating potential new cures for a wide range of devastating diseases which impact upon the lives of millions of people. This isn't a small step change we're talking about. This is a major sea change.