Program Director: Derek van der Kooy , PhD

  Email Dr. van der Kooy or read about his research here.

Learn about the Regenerative Medicine Scientists and their exciting research here.

The Regenerative Medicine Program is defined by three major areas:

Cardiovascular

A major initiative in the field of cardiac cell therapy has been launched that brings together leading scientists from across the University, with the purpose to begin the world's first clinical trial using genetically engineered cells for the treatment of heart disease, the Toronto Heart Regeneration and Angiogenesis Trials (THREAT).

The initial focus will be on patients who have suffered an acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) with hopes of repopulating the damaged heart with precursor cells isolated from the circulation, and genetically engineered to enhance their regenerative capacity. Other studies will address other unmet clinical needs, including chronic ischemic heart diseases not amenable to surgical or interventional revascularization procedures, or heart failure refractory to medical management using a similar approach.

Neurosciences

This team’s projects address spinal cord injury (SCI), a devastating event with major social and economic implications. Recent developments in stem cell biology and tissue engineering afford the potential to achieve functionally significant repair and regeneration after neurotrauma. The SCI team endeavors to develop a comprehensive and novel approach to spinal cord repair and regeneration, leading to clinically relevant treatment approaches.

Stem cell biology

The future of regenerative medicine will depend critically on the ability to harness the potential of stem cells to rebuild damaged tissue and regenerate functional organs. Scientists at the University of Toronto are on the forefront of a global effort to understand stem cell biology and develop feasible approaches for controlling stem cell fate .

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