'Heart regeneration - new research in gene and stem cell therapy', London, UK
28 September 2012 - 28 September 2012
Bulgaria
A conference entitled 'Heart regeneration - new research in gene and stem cell therapy', will take place on 24 October 2012 in London, UK.
Heart failure plagues industrialized nations, killing more people than any other disease. It usually results from a deficiency of specialized cardiac muscle cells known as cardiomyocytes, and a robust therapy to regenerate lost myocardium could help millions of patients every year. Heart regeneration is well documented in amphibia and fish and in developing mammals. After birth, however, human heart regeneration becomes limited to very slow cardiomyocyte replacement. Several experimental strategies to remuscularize the injured heart using adult stem cells and pluripotent stem cells, cellular reprogramming and tissue engineering are in progress.
The conference will discuss current research on heart cells, mainly two new, complementary strategies. The first is a gene therapy trial with the aim to reverse the changes in the remaining cardiomyocytes, restoring the beating force of the heart and in the second, cell therapy researchers are trying to go even further, and give new cardiomyocytes to the heart and so reverse the damage itself. These new therapies bring new challenges, both technically and ethically.For further information, please visit:
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/newsandeventspggrp/imperialcollege/eventssummary/event_14-9-2012-15-19-16(opens in new window)
Heart failure plagues industrialized nations, killing more people than any other disease. It usually results from a deficiency of specialized cardiac muscle cells known as cardiomyocytes, and a robust therapy to regenerate lost myocardium could help millions of patients every year. Heart regeneration is well documented in amphibia and fish and in developing mammals. After birth, however, human heart regeneration becomes limited to very slow cardiomyocyte replacement. Several experimental strategies to remuscularize the injured heart using adult stem cells and pluripotent stem cells, cellular reprogramming and tissue engineering are in progress.
The conference will discuss current research on heart cells, mainly two new, complementary strategies. The first is a gene therapy trial with the aim to reverse the changes in the remaining cardiomyocytes, restoring the beating force of the heart and in the second, cell therapy researchers are trying to go even further, and give new cardiomyocytes to the heart and so reverse the damage itself. These new therapies bring new challenges, both technically and ethically.For further information, please visit:
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/newsandeventspggrp/imperialcollege/eventssummary/event_14-9-2012-15-19-16(opens in new window)