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| Professor Ian Wimut |
It merges groundbreaking expertise from the globally respected Institute for Stem Cell Research and the Roslin Institute, with clinical excellence from teams within the renowned medical school at the University of Edinburgh.
Headed by Professor Ian Wilmut, the leader of the team that produced Dolly, (the first animal to develop after nuclear transfer from an adult cell), the Centre maintains an open and flexible attitude to collaboration with researchers and commercial partners from all over the world.
Professor Wilmut said, “This will be a unique facility, supporting world class research leading to clinical advancement, and to that end, we are fortunate to work beside a first class, modern hospital at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
“We are also lucky to work within the life sciences community in Scotland, operating within an effective regulatory framework and a society which supports the innovative work that we do.”
The Centre is funded by the Scottish Executive, various UK and European governmental grants and by a range of charities involved in inherited or degenerative disease, including the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the Parkinsons Disease Society and the Leukaemia Research Fund.
Applications:
It is a misperception that stem cell science is chiefly concerned with implanting cells into patients. The more common use of stem cells is in the study of disease and development of new drug treatments.
Stem cells can be used to produce any particular cell type, allowing novel treatments to be trialled on human tissue. The ability to produce cells from cloned human embryos provides a highly effective way of studying degenerative diseases such as Motor Neurone Disease and Parkinsons Disease.
The Centre also has particular expertise in developing novel therapies for bone fractures and spinal cord injuries, supported by the work of Professor Hamish Simpson.
Another key area of expertise is in blood disorders such as anaemia and leukaemia, through the work of Professor Marc Turner, in collaboration with the Scottish national Blood Transfusion Service.
The Centre for Regenerative Medicine only came into being in 2006 but enjoys access to first class research facilities through the outstanding credentials of the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine at the University of Edinburgh and the Institute for Stem Cell Research, access to clinical expertise through the new Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, and strong commercial links through the integrated and outwardly-focussed Scottish Life Sciences community.
CRM researchers include:
Professor Ian Wilmut OBE, Director of the Centre for Regenerative Medicine, is recognised worldwide for his team’s work in producing Dolly, the world’s first mammal cloned after nuclear transfer from an adult cell. His current work is focussed on the molecular mechanisms responsible for normal development of cloned embryos.
Dr Marc Turner is Scientific Director of the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service and has a position in the School of Molecular and Clinical Medicine at the University of Edinburgh. His research includes the use of blood stem cells in devising novel treatments for diseases such as leukaemia and anaemia.
Professor Hamish Simpson is Professor of Orthopaedics and Trauma in the Dept of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Edinburgh. Professor Simpson’s research explores the possible applications of bone cells made from embryonic stem cells.
Dr Brian Hendrich is based at the Institute for Stem cell Research at the University of Edinburgh. He is a leading researcher in the field of Epigenetics and the role of certain proteins, known as epigenetic silencers in early embryonic development.
More information:
Life Sciences in Edinburgh and Lothians
Real Life Story: Paul De Souza
Stem Cells Sciences
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