Stem cells revealed

Public Education Day explores regenerative medicine

Neurons, in green, and astrocytes, shown in red, are derived from adult neural stem cells. Photo courtesy of Erzsebet Kokovay, Ph.D., Laboratory

What are stem cells and how might they be used to treat diseases? How safe are current stem cell treatments? How can the public enroll in a clinical trial? What are the ethical issues? How is the U.S. military using regenerative medicine?

The Health Science Center hosted a Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Public Education Day Dec. 2 to address the many questions about stem cells and regenerative medicine through speaker panels and interactive booths. Keynote speaker Elaine Fuchs, Ph.D., an investigator at Rockefeller University, presented a public lecture about her research that explores where adult stem cells come from, how they make tissues, how they repair wounds and how stem cells malfunction in cancers.

The event immediately preceded the 2014 World Stem Cell Summit, which ran Dec. 3 to 5 in downtown San Antonio. The Health Science Center was an organizing sponsor of the summit, which is the largest interdisciplinary stem cell meeting in the world.

“The Health Science Center is committed to stem cell research, including applications to oral health, aging, neuroscience, diabetes and cancer,” said Health Science Center President William L. Henrich, M.D., MACP, a summit co-chair. “The World Stem Cell Summit was an opportunity to showcase our work on the global stage and establish new connections with national and international partners. The stem cell and regenerative medicine field has the potential to transform medicine, but also to transform the Texas economy.”

The World Stem Cell Summit featured 200 prominent leaders in translational medicine, science and other fields. The event attracted attendees from 40 nations.