Annual RegenMed SA Conference to focus on future of stem cells

Doctors regularly perform stem cell transplants, also known as bone marrow transplants, to replace cells damaged by chemotherapy. The stem cells, or the body's raw material, that make this transplantation possible will be the topic of a two-day event titled, "Fifth San Antonio Conference on Stem Cell Research & Regenerative Medicine." The conference, scheduled on February 7th - 8th at the Wyndham Garden Riverwalk Hotel, is presented by RegenMed SA.

"Stem cell research and regenerative medicine are rapidly advancing areas that offer great promise for new life-saving approaches to many diseases or injuries that are difficult to treat with current therapeutic methods," said Professor John McCarrey, Kleberg Distinguished University Chair in Cellular & Molecular Biology at UTSA and a member of the RegenMed SA steering committee.

Stem cell therapy, also known as regenerative medicine, stimulates the body's repair response to grow new cells and replace injured tissue. It's for this reason that this year's RegenMed SA conference will include presentations focused on:

• how stem cells can be used to regenerate tissue in burn wounds
• therapeutic targeting of tumors
• new treatments for Parkinson's and
• the understanding of possible cellular models for how bipolar disorder develops

The RegenMed SA conference will gather approximately 150 stem cell researchers and clinicians from across the region but will also include leading investigators in the fields of stem cell research and regenerative medicine from the Cleveland Clinic as well as the Stanford School of Medicine. The majority of the discussions will be centered on the science of stem cells, precision medicine, tissue engineering, clinical progress and even how to translate more stem cell research into real-world technologies for the healthcare industry.

"Extensive research and therapy and product development are ongoing at numerous institutions, installations and companies in San Antonio. The annual RegenMed SA Conference brings together investigators from all around San Antonio and surrounding regions to discuss their most current advances and plans for future research," said McCarrey.

Investigators from all sectors of the scientific community in San Antonio will gather at this conference, including those from BioBridge Global, GenCure, Norton Rose Fulbright, Southwest Research Institute, StemBioSys, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, US Army Institute of Surgical Research at the Fort Sam Houston, UT Health San Antonio and UTSA.

Stem cells and regenerative medicine holds a great deal of promise for many. The pharmaceutical industry can test drugs on stem cells for effectiveness without having to use human trials. While other researchers hope to use cells to teach the body how to accept foreign tissue without compromising immunity, a key that for many will lead to the next step in organ transplantation.

Integrative Biomedicine, which includes human immunology and infectious disease, regenerative and molecular medicine, and neuroscience is one of UTSA's five research specialties. To support that work, the university is home to the Center for Innovation and Drug Discovery, the Institute for Health Disparities Research, the San Antonio Cellular Therapeutics Institute, the South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases and the UTSA Neurosciences Institute.