ARCHIVE
- MAY 2007
LONDON
REGENERATIVE MEDICINE NETWORK
6.00 pm Thursday 17th May 2007
The May meeting of the London
Regenerative Medicine Network is to be held in the evening
of Thursday 17th May at the Guy’s Hospital Campus of
King's College London at London Bridge -
Lecture Theatre 2, New Hunt's
House.
This meeting is FREE OF CHARGE due to the generous
sponsorship of THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC:
Everyone
welcome!
SPEAKERS:
HUGH
ILYINE
The challenge to rapidly convert stem cell discoveries into suitable ‘commercial ready’ products and services remains a critical issue for stem cell companies, as they juggle their near term and long term investments in the field against irregular early income streams. Various business models have been tried, from broad based approaches to single focus therapeutic plays. There are no clear answers as to which ones are best to ensure short and long term survivability.
Applications of stem cell therapies into a significant disease area can create strong anticipatory market valuations, but the lengthy time to market and requirements for ancillary technology developments outside the perimeter of the company, often result in limited appetite of risk capital providers towards investing in stem cell companies. At the same time, the critical need for a continuous stream of new IP and improvements to IP means companies must not only invest in significant internal R&D but also forge collaborations with centres of academic research excellence. Managing the R&D to demanding milestones may not prove feasible, but is demanded by investors.
How then to go about building the right sets of people to creating successful stem cell companies? To become a true global enterprise in the stem cell field remains an exciting if challenging task, faced today by all the pioneering companies.
PROF. PETE COFFEY
Age related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in people over 60. AMD results in central visual loss making it impossible to appreciate fine detail. AMD is associated with defects of the retinal support cells – the retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE). The photoreceptors in the retina depend for their survival on the normal functioning of these cells, and so failure of these cells leads to progressive loss of vision. There is currently no treatment which prevents the development of AMD. The aim is to produce a cell replacement therapy from human embryonic stem cells which are effective in replacing dysfunctional RPE and photoreceptors found in AMD which will stabalise and restore vision in the vast majority of patients.
DR. JONATHAN HILL
Dr. Hill has a distinguished career including formal training at Cambridge University (MA) with clinical training at Edinburgh University (MB ChB). He then undertook general professional training at St Thomas’, St Bartholomew’s and Royal Brompton hospitals before commencing specialist cardiology training at London Chest and St Bartholomew’s Hospitals. From 1999-2003, he held a prestigious 'Bench to Bedside Fellowship' at the National Institutes for Health (USA) with a translational research programme focussed on stem and progenitor cell biology relating to cardiovascular disease.
There is rapid growth in the use of MRI for molecular and cellular imaging. Tracking transplanted stem and progenitor cells using MRI can offer biologic insight into homing and engraftment mechanisms in both animal models and patients. This presentation will focus on the area of trafficking and homing of stem cells in vivo to repair the cardiovascular system. Including how to track the destiny of cells after therapeutic intravascular or intramyocardial delivery. Loads of great pictures!
AGENDA:
18.00 - Registration + networking over tea and coffee
18.30 - Introduction - Chris Mason (UCL) - Co-organiser - LRMN
18.35 - 'The Stem Cell Industry – Challenges and keys to success' - Hugh Ilyine - Stem Cell Sciences plc
19.00 - Q+A Session
19.05 - 'Stemming vision loss through the use of human embryonic stem cells' - Prof. Pete Coffey - Institute of Ophthalmology, UCL
19.30 - Q+A Session
19.35 - 'Tracking and surveillance of stem and progenitor cells for myocardial repair' - Dr. Jonathan Hill - King's College Hospital
20.00 - Q+A Session
20.05 - Closing remarks - Stephen Minger (KCL) - Co-organiser - LRMN
20.10 - 22.00 - Networking reception - enjoy a glass of wine or two in the Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, KCL
This meeting is FREE OF CHARGE due to the generous sponsorship of THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC:
The LRMN also continues to enjoy financial underpinning
from both GlaxoSmithKline and the
Guy's, King's & St Thomas' Annual
Fund, plus invaluable support
from the Advanced Centre for Biochemical Engineering,
UCL and the Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases,
KCL.
To
reserve a place, please just email the LRMN Network
Secretary, Dr. Louise Mason: louise.mason@regenmednetwork.com
*****PLEASE
NOTE THAT THERE IS A CHANGE FROM OUR REGULAR LECTURE
THEATRE TO:
Lecture Theatre 2, New Hunt's
House,
Guy's Hospital Campus at London Bridge, London
SE1*****
Map: pdf LINK
Everyone
welcome!
NETWORK PRINCIPLE SPONSORS
Guy's, King's and St Thomas' Annual
Fund
London
Regenerative Medicine Network
"Bringing the regenerative medicine, stem cell and tissue
engineering community together"
