Recent advances in neuroscience research are gaining credibility toward a cure for many neurological conditions.

Join us to learn about current research, rehabilitation and treatment advances of the emerging approaches for Alzheimer’s, stroke and traumatic brain injury care.

Official Event Page   | Event Registration

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Distinguished Speakers & Sponsors

The  field of regenerative medicine has the potential to provide many solutions through the use of innovative, disease altering treatments and at the same time bend the health care cost curve in a meaningful way.

We are on the Brink of a New Era of Medicine
Regenerative medicine represents a new paradigm in human health, with the potential to resolve unmet medical needs by addressing the underlying causes of disease.

Regenerative medicine research translates fundamental knowledge in biology, chemistry and physics into materials, devices, systems and a variety of therapeutic strategies which augment, repair, replace or regenerate organs and tissues. This rapidly evolving, interdisciplinary field in healthcare is transforming the practice of medicine, medical innovation and the production of medical devices and therapies.

Why Is Regenerative Medicine So Important to the Future of Healthcare?  Learn More…

Annual Regenerative Medicine Report
Overview of the regenerative medicine field, including in-depth information on products currently available and details on late stage clinical trials. The Report also outlines the elements of a U.S. national strategy to support this sector.

Highlights:

• An overview of the broad array of disciplines in the field including cell therapies, gene therapies, biologics and small molecules, tissue engineering, stem cells for drug discovery, toxicity testing and disease modeling and biobanking.
• Information on the potential economic impact of Regenerative Medicine in the United States.
• Eleven disease overviews that highlight progress of RM in developing treatments for diseases that include cardiovascular disease, non-healing wounds, vascular disease, spinal cord injury, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, musculoskeletal conditions, autoimmune disorders, stroke, diabetes and ocular diseases.
• Clinical milestones
• The elements of a national strategy and initiatives to support advances in regenerative medicine.

Full Report Available Here

6th International Symposium on Mesenchymal Stem/Progenitor Cells  at Texas Institute for Preclinical Studies    “MSCs and Cancers: Issues and Opportunities” Information & Registration

6th International Symposium on Mesenchymal Stem/Progenitor Cells | Texas Institute for Preclinical Studies

Recent advances in neuroscience research are gaining credibility toward a cure for many neurological conditions. Join us to learn about current research, rehabilitation and treatment advances of the emerging approaches for Alzheimer’s, stroke and traumatic brain injury care.

Official Event Page   | Event Registration

Distinguished Speakers & Sponsors

The Texas Capitol October 19th, 2012  |  Official Program Details & Registration

Regenerative Medicine stakeholders to attend upcoming World Stem Cell Summit in West Palm Beach Dec. 3-5.

The Genetics Policy Institute has partnered with leading academic institutions to create the most influential and important gatherings in the field by bringing together leaders in research, business, advocacy, finance, law and ethics to chart the future of regenerative medicine.

The World Stem Cell Summit agenda is developed with one goal in mind: to deliver cures. To do this, we must align patient advocacy, industry, science, policy and funding. This year, at our 8th annual World Stem Cell Summit, we are focused on translational solutions, bringing together the brightest minds from all stakeholder groups. It’s an experience you won’t want to miss.

Who Attends?
More than 1,200 attendees are expected from 25 countries. Prominent industry leaders, scientists, clinicians, students, regulators, policymakers, patient advocates, philantropists, economic development officers and experts in law and ethics join together to advance our field.

2012 Agenda
Featuring more than 150 renowned international speakers and 65 hours of in-depth programming, the World Stem Cell Summit unites, educates, and harmonizes the global stem cell community. The 2012 World Stem Cell Summit’s interdisciplinary agenda is an engine for discovery, funding and commercialization, exploring the field’s most pressing topics with four tracks:

• Research
• Translation and Regulation
• Commercialization and Reimbursements
• Advocacy/Consumer Safety

This year, panels will address advancing treatments for specific diseases and conditions including: cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, cardiovascular disease, spinal cord injury, paralysis, multiple sclerosis, ALS, Parkinson’s, eye diseases and others.

Speakers & Program Participants

Melinda Abelman, MSc
Office of Embryonic Stem Cell Research Oversight
Partners Healthcare System
Boston, Massachusetts

Zami Aberman
Chairman & CEO
Pleuristem Therapeutics, Inc.
Haifa, Israel

Karen S. Aboody, MD
Associate Professor, Neurosciences
Associate Professor, Neurosurgery
City of Hope
Duarte, California

Wado Akamatsu, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology
School of Medicine, Keio University
Tokyo, Japan

Graca Almeida-Porada, MD, PhD
Professor
Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine
Winston-Salem, NC

Piero Anversa, MD
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Boston, Massachussets

Naomi Aronson, PhD
Director, BC/BS Evidence-based Practice Center
Executive Director, Technology Evaluation Center (TEC)
Blue Cross Blue Shield Association
Chicago, Illinois

Ravi Bhatia, MD
Professor, Department of Hematology and HCT
Director, Division of Hematopoietic Stem Cell and Leukemia Research
Co-Director Hematological Malignancies Program, Comprehensive Cancer Center
City of Hope National Medical Center
Duarte, CA

Gregory A. Bonfiglio
Founder and Managing Partner
Proteus Venture Partners
Palo Alto, CA

Mark L. Bonyhadi, PhD
Director, Clinical Business Development: Cell Therapy
Cellular Medicine – BioProduction
Life Technologies Invitrogen
Sammamish, Washington

Mark E. Brecher, MD
Chief Medical Officer
Laboratory Corporation of America
Burlington, North Carolina

Lee Buckler
Managing Director,
Cell Therapy Group, a division of CTG Consulting, Co.
Vancouver, Canada

Scott R. Burger, MD
Advanced Cell & Gene Therapy, LLC
Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Dr. Chris Burns
Section Head, Endocrinology Biotherapeutics Group
National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC)
Health Protection Agency
Potters Bar Hertfordshire, United Kingdom

Arnold I. Caplan, PhD
Professor of Biology, Director Skeletal Research Center
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, Ohio

Joy Cavagnaro, PhD, DABT, RAC,Fellow ATS, RAPS Fellow,
Access BIO
Boyce, Virginia

G. Rasul Chaudhry
Professor, Department of Biological Sciences
Coordinator, OUWB Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine
Oakland University
Rochester, MI

Arlene Y. Chiu, PhD
Director and Professor-in-Residence
Office of New Research Initiatives
Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope
Duarte, California

Curt I. Civin, MD
Associate Dean for Research, University of Maryland School of Medicine
Director, Center for Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine
Professor of Pediatrics and Physiology
Baltimore, MD

Jeffrey S. Cohen
Director – Equity Research
Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc.
Miami, Florida

Sabrina Cohen
Sabrina Cohen Foundation for Stem Cell Research
Miami Beach, Florida

Larry A. Couture, PhD
Senior Vice President
Center for Applied Technology Development
Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope

George Q. Daley, MD, PhD
Director
Stem Cell Transplantation Program
HHMI/Children’s Hospital
Boston Massachusetts

Benjamin Deverman, PhD
Division of Biology
California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, California

W. Dalton Dietrich, PhD
Scientific Director, The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis
Kinetic Concepts Distinguished Chair in Neurosurgery
Senior Associate Dean for Discovery Science
Professor of Neurological Surgery, Neurology and
Cell Biology and Anatomy
University of Miami
Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine
Lois Pope LIFE Center
Miami, FL

Juan Dominguez-Bendala, MSc, PhD
Research Associate Professor of Surgery
Director, Pancreatic Development & Stem Cell Laboratory
Diabetes Research Institute
University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine
Miami, FL

Mitchell S. Fuerst, Esq.
Fuerst Ittleman, PL
Miami, Florida

Masao Fukushima, PhD
Dept. Manager, Research Dept., S-BIO Business Div.
Sumitomo Bakelite Co., Ltd
Kobe, Japan

Jennifer S. Geetter, Esq.
Partner
McDermott Will & Emery
Washington DC

Dan Gincel, PhD
Director
Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund
Columbia, Maryland

Harumi  Ginya ,  PhD
Technical Marketing Director
Genetein Co., Ltd.
Chiba, Japan

Joel C. Glover, PhD
Department of Physiology
Institute of Basic Medical Sciences
University of Oslo
Director, Norwegian Center for Stem Cell Research
Oslo University Hospital-Rikshospitalet
Oslo, Norway

Jeffrey L. Goldberg, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Ophthalmology
Walter G. Ross Distinguished Chair in Ophthalmic Research
Bascom Palmer Eye Institute & Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute
Miami, FL

Kenneth W. Goodman, PhD
Professor and Director, Bioethics Program
Co-Director, Ethics Programs
University of Miami
Miami, Florida

Prof. Raphael Gorodetsky, PhD
Head of Biotechnology and Radiobiology Laboratory,
Sharett Institute of Oncology,
Hadassah – Hebrew University Medical Center
Jerusalem

Aubrey de Grey, PhD
Chief Science Officer
SENS Foundation
Mountain View, CA

Karl-Henrik Grinnemo, MD
Group Leader in Regenerative Cardiology
Department of Medicine, Huddinge
Karolinska Institutet
Stockholm, Sweden

James Guest MD, PhD, FACS
Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery
Neurological Surgery and the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Miami, Florida

Kurt C. Gunter, MD, FASCP
President
International Society for Cell Therapy (ISCT)
Global Medical Director
Hospira Inc.
Lake Forest, Illinois

Joshua M. Hare, MD, FACC, FAHA
Louis Lemberg Professor of Medicine, Molecular and Pharmacology, and Biomedical Engineering
Director, Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Miami, Florida

Danny Heumann, JD
Heumannly Capable
Ann Arbor, Michigan

Outi Hovatta, MD, PhD
Department of Clinical Sciences, Intervention and Technology
Karolinska Instituet
Stockholm, Sweden

William B. Hurlbut, MD
Consulting Professor
Department of Neurobiology
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Rosario Isasi
McGill University
Montreal, Canada

Alan Jakimo
Senior Counsel
Sidley Austin, LLP
New York, New York

Richard Jove, PhD
Director
Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope
Duarte, California

Timothy J. Kamp MD, PhD
Professor of Medicine
Director, Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Center Cellular and Molecular Arrhythmia Research Program University of Wisconsin Medical School
Madison, WI

Dan S. Kaufman, MD, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Medicine
Division of Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation
Associate Director, Stem Cell Institute
University of Minnesota
Rochester, Minnesota

Kenji Kawabata, PhD
Project Leader, Laboratory of Stem Cell Regulation
National Institute of Biomedical Innovation (NIBIO)
Osaka, Japan

Keri Kimler
Texas Heart Institute
Founder, Texas Cures Education Foundation
Advisor, Texans for Stem Cell Research
Houston, Texas

Masanari Kitagawa, PhD
Executive officer, Vice President of Genetic Engineering Research Business Unit,
General Manager, Dragon Genomics Center
TAKARA BIO INC.
Mie, Japan

Robert Klein, JD
Chair Emeritus of the Governing Board,
California Institute of Regenerative Medicine
San Francisco, CA
Board of Chancellors,
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International
Chairman, Klein Financial Corporation
Palo Alto, California

Kenneth Kleinhenz
Vice President Regulatory Affairs and Quality Assurance
Cytori Therapeutics
San Diego, California

Paul S. Knoepfler, PhD
Associate Professor
UC Davis School of Medicine
Davis, California

Dr. Frank-Roman Lauter
Head of Business Development
Spokesman of the German-Californian RegMed Initiative
Secretary General of ‘The Regenerative Medicine Coalition
BERLIN-BRANDENBURG CENTER for REGENERATIVE THERAPIES
Berlin, Germany

Katarina Le Blanc, MD, PhD
Professor of Clinical Stem Cell Research
Hematology Center
Division of of Clinical Immunology and Translational Medicine
Karolinska Instituet
Stockholm, Sweden

Eric Leire, MD. MBA
CEO
DanDrit Biotech A/S
Copenhagen, Denmark

Bruce Levine, PhD
Associate Professor,
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA

Richard Lewney
Managing Director
Cambridge Econometrics
Cambridge, United Kingdom

Scott B. Livingston
Chief Executive Officer
Livingston Securities
New York, New York

Geoffrey Lomax Dr.PH.
Senior Officer to the Standards Working Group
California Institute for Regenerative Medicine
San Francisco, California

Jeanne F. Loring, PhD
Professor of Developmental Neurobiology
Director of the Center for Regenerative Medicine
Department of Chemical Physiology
California Campus
The Scripps Research Institute
La Jolla, California

S. Peter Ludwig
Principal
Fish & Richardson
New York, New York

Paolo Macchiarini, MD, PhD
Professor of Regenerative Medicine
Department of Clinical Sciences, Intervention and Technology
Karolinska Instituet
Stockholm, Sweden

Ram Mandalam, PhD
President & CEO
Cellerant Therapeutics
San Carlos, CA

Chris Mason, MBBS, PhD, FRCS
Professor
Regenerative Medicine Bioprocessing
Advanced Centre for Biochemical Engineering
University College London
London, United Kingdom

Kirstin RW Matthews, PhD
Fellow in Science and Technology Policy
James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy
Rice University
Houston, TX

Michael H. May, PhD
Chief Executive Officer
Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine (CCRM)
Toronto, Ontario

Martin McGlynn
Chief Executive Officer
StemCells, Inc.
Palo Alto, California

Shosh Merchav, PhD, MBA
Senior Clinical Scientist
Cardiology, Immunology and Inflammation.
Teva Global Branded Products
Petach Tikva, Israel

Stephan Miltenyi
Managing Director
Miltenyi Biotech GmbH
Bergisch Gladbach, Germany

Jeffery D. Molkentin, PhD
Professor, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, Professor,UC Department of Pediatrics
Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Cincinnati, Ohio

Norio Nakatsuji, DSc
Director
Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Science (iCeMS)
Kyoto University
Kyoto, Japan

Karen Nichols, Esq. RAC
VP, Regulatory and Quality
OvaScience, Inc.
Cambridge, MA

Stephen D. Nimer, MD
Director
Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
University of Miami Health System
Miami, Florida

Mark D. Noble, PhD
Professor of Genetics and of Neurobiology and Anatomy
Director, UR Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Institute
University of Rochester Medical Center
Rochester, New York

Jan A. Nolta, PhD
Professor
Director, Stem Cell Program and Institute for Regenerative Cures
Scientific Director, UC Davis GMP Facility
Editor, Stem Cells
University of California, Davis
Sacramento, CA

Robert J. Palay, JD, MBA, COB
Cellular Dynamics International
Madison, Wisconsin

Mirjana Pavlovic, MD, PhD
Research and Adjunct Professor
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida

Robert A. Pearlman
President and CEO
Diabetes Research Institute Foundation, Inc.
Hollywood, Florida

Carl J. Pepine, MD, MACC
Professor, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

Donald G. Phinney, PhD
Professor
Department of Molecular Therapeutics
The Scripps Research Institute
Jupiter, Florida

Dr. Cathy Prescott
Biolatris Ltd
Cambridge,United Kingdom

Gary Rabin
Chairman and CEO
Advanced Cell Technology
Santa Monica, California

Don Reed
Vice President for Public Policy
Americans for Cures Foundation
Palo Alto, California

Brock C. Reeve
Executive Director
Harvard Stem Cell Institute
Cambridge, MA

Amy Comstock Rick
President
Parkinson’s Action Network
and CAMR
Washington DC

Camillo Ricordi, MD
Chief, Division of Cellular Transplantation,
Professor of Surgery and Medicine
Diabetes Research Institute and Cell Transplant Center
University of Miami
Miami, Florida

Ricardo Luis Rodriguez, MD
Clinical Instructor, Joh Hopkins Medical School
Presiden ICMS
Baltimore, Maryland

Heather Rooke, PhD
Science Director
International Society for Stem Cell Research
Deerfield, Illinois

Jeffrey D. Rothstein MD, PhD
Professor of Neurology
Director of the Robert Packard Center for ALS Research
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Baltimore, MD

Beth E. Roxland, JD, M.Bioethics
Ethics and Public Policy Committee Member
International Society of Stem Cell Research (ISSCR)
New York, New York

Daniel Ryan
Head Life & Health R&D
Managing Director
Group Underwriting
Swiss Re Services Ltd (London)
London, United Kingdom

Andrew V. Schally, PhD, MDhc (Multi), DSc hc
Professor Division of Hematology/Oncology
and Division of Endocrinology Department of Medicine
Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1977
Miami, Florida

Michael Schuster, MS, MBA
EVP of Global Therapeutic Programs
Mesoblast
New York, New York

Karen Segal PhD
Senior Vice President
Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases
Mesoblast, Inc.

Bernard Siegel, JD
Executive Director
Genetics Policy Institute
Wellington, Florida

Douglas A. Sipp
RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology
Kobe, Japan

Sonia Skarlatos, PhD, FAHA
Deputy Director
Division of Cardiovascular Sciences
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Bethesda, Maryland

David S. Smith
Attorney at Law
Pepper Hamilton LLP
Pittsburgh, PA

Devyn Smith, PhD
Chief Operating Officer
Neusentis Research Unit and PTx Clinical Research
Pfizer Worldwide R&D
Cambridge, United Kingdom

Gary D. Smith, PhD
Professor, Departments of OB/GYN, Physiology, and Urology
Director, Reproductive Sciences Program
Co-Director, A Taubman Consortium for Stem Cell Therapies
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI

Robin L. Smith, MD, MBA
Chairman and CEO
Neostem, Inc.
New York, New York

Evan Y. Snyder, MD, PhD, FAAP
Professor, Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute
Director, Program in Stem Cell & Regenerative Biology
Director, Stem Cell Research Center
La Jolla, California

Susan Solomon
The New York Stem Cell Foundation
New York, New York

Glyn Stacey, PhD
Director
UK Stem Cell Bank,
Potters Bar, Hertfordshire
United Kingdom

Frank Stonebanks
Chief Commercial Officer
Ontario Institute for Cancer Research
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Yasuhiko Tabata, PhD, D.Med., Sc., D.Pharm
Professor and Chairman, Department of Biomaterials
Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences
Kyoto University, Japan

Doris A. Taylor, PhD, FAHA, FACC
Director, Regenerative Medicine Research
Texas Heart Institute
at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital
Texas Medical Center
Houston, Texas

Sally Temple, PhD
Scientific Director and Co-Founder
Neural Stem Cell Institute,
Albany, New York

Andre Terzic, MD, PhD
Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology
Director, Center for Regenerative Medicine
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, MN

Mary Thistle
Vice President – Business Development
Cubist Pharmaceuticals
Lexington, MA

Jonathan Thomas, PhD, JD
Chair
California Institute for Regenerative Medicine
San Francisco, California

Jonathan L. Tilly, PhD
Director, Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology
Massachusetts General Hospital
Harvard Stem Cell Institute
Boston, Massachusetts

Avi Treves, PhD
Deputy Director
Cancer Research Center
Sheba Medical Center
Tel Hashomer, Irael

Leigh Turner, PhD
Associate Professor
Center for Bioethics & School of Public Health
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN

Gil Van Bokkelen, PhD
Chairman and CEO
Athersys, Inc.
Cleveland, Ohio

Alain Vertes, PhD
Sloan Fellow
London Business School
London, United Kingdom

Mardi de Veuve Alexis
Senior Advisor for Strategic Partnerships and
Administrative Director, ITRC
Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope
Duarte, California

Rober Waddington
CEO
CordVida, Brazil

Anthony Windebank, MD
Professor of Neurology
Deputy Director, Center for Regenerative Medicine
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, MN

Michael Werner, JD
Partner
Holland & Knight
Washington DC

Professor Michael Whitaker FBiolSoc FMedSci
Professor of Physiology
Dean of Research and Innovation
Institute of Cell & Molecular Biosciences
The Medical School, Newcastle University
United Kingdom

Allan Wu, MD
Co-founder, CSO
Morrow Institute
Palm Springs, California

Joseph C. Wu, MD, PhD
Associate Professor, Cardiovascular Medicine & Radiology
Stanford University School of Medicine
Palo Alto, California

Xiao-Ming Xu, MD, PhD
Scientific Director
Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Group, Stark Neurosciences Research Institute
University of Indiana School of Medicine
Indianapolis, Indiana

Dileep R. Yavagal, MD
Director Interventional Neurology, Co-Director
Endovascular Neurosurgery
Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery
Faculty Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine/Jackson Memorial Hospital
Miami, Florida

Chikafumi Yokoyama, PhD
Chief Executive Officer
ReproCELL, Inc.
Kanagawa, Japan

Robin R. Young, CFA
President, Robin Young Consulting Group
Producer, Stem Cell Summit
Wayne, Pennsylvania

Wise Young, MD, PhD
Professor and Chair
W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
New Brunswick, New Jersey

Nicholas A. Zachariades, PhD
Partner
Duane Morris, LLP
Boca Raton, Florida

Joumana Zeidan, PhD
Vaccine & Gene Therapy Institute (VGTI)
Port St. Lucie, Florida

Xianmin Zeng, PhD
Associate Professor and Director
CIRM Shared Research Laboratory for Stem Cell & Aging
Buck Institute for Research on Aging
Novato, CA

Jianyi (Jay) Zhang, MD, PhD
University of Minnesota Medical School
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Claudia Zylberberg, PhD
President & CEO
Akron Biotech
Boca Raton, Florida

A Unifying Vision to Power Our Goals and Fuel Our Strength….

We promote, support and advocate for research that can save lives and improve quality of life through responsible scientific discovery.

We create visibility and awareness of the accomplishments of Texas-based medical research and the improvement in people’s lives the research provides.

We inform Texans about timely medical advances taking place in our state and around the world to help protect our families’ access to those discoveries.

We illuminate important efforts of all scientists, biomedical engineers, doctors and organizations contributing to medical advancements that will change the health of Texans and all humankind.

The most promising new era of medicine is upon us thanks to doctors, scientists, engineers, and research teams around the state and beyond.

Texas Cures is uniting the community to support these efforts and spread awareness about the potential this research holds for helping people live a healthier and longer life.

Though online communication and unique educational programs, we are creating new visibility for advances in the field that are changing the way we approach disease and injury for millions of  people around the world today.

Visit Stem Cell Cite News Blog for Relevant News

Visit  Event Page for Upcoming Programs

Dr. William Danforth (left), Dr. James T. Willerson (center), Dr. Doug L. Mann (right) [Photo Courtesy: Maryann Manion Photography

Dr. Willerson discussed findings from a recently released study that could pave the way for new stem cell therapies to treat patients with severe heart failure on May 24 event in St. Louis that was sponsored by Missouri Cures Education Foundation.

Dr. Willerson, president and medical director of Texas Heart Institute, led a research team that found a patients’ own bone marrow stem cells can potentially be used to repair the heart and restore healthy blood flow after severe heart failure. The findings are from a multi-center clinical study — the largest such investigation to date of bone marrow-derived stem cells ever done in patients with severe heart failure. The findings were presented in March at the annual session of the American College of Cardiology in Chicago.

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Watch the Full Presentation by Dr. Willerson

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Researchers hope that continuing favorable trial results will pave the way for new clinical trials and, ultimately, new therapies that could help patients with heart failure. Heart failure is a condition in which the heart can’t pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs.

About 5.8 million people in the United States have heart failure, according to the NIH National Heart Lung and Blood Institute.

Dr. Willerson is the Edward Randall III Professor of Internal Medicine at The University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. He also is the former chairman of the National American Heart Association Research Committee and a former board member.

“I believe we were meant to learn of the powerful potential of stem cells and build on it,” Dr. Willerson said. “Ultimately, stem cell research could give us the ability to regenerate whole hearts.”

The May 24 presentation was open to the public and  held at The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, Missouri.

“We are delighted that Dr. Willerson is able to come to St. Louis and share his exciting research, which has the potential to help millions of patients who have heart failure,” said Dena Ladd, executive director of Missouri Cures Education Foundation.

Dr. Doug Mann, Lewin Chair and Chief, Cardiovascular Division of Washington University School of Medicine, introduced Dr. Willerson.

Event sponsors were: Dr. William Danforth; James and Elizabeth McDonnell; Ambassador Sam and Marilyn Fox; John and Anne McDonnell; and The Staenberg Family Foundation in conjunction with THF Realty.

Host committee members were: Dan and Connie Burkhardt; Lynn and Kathy Chipp erfield; Michael and Leslie Christ; Drs. Sessions and Pat Cole; Rabbis ; Michael and Leslie Christ; Drs. Sessions and Pat Cole; Rabbis James Goodman and Susan Talve; Dr. WilliamJoffe and Liz Heller; Drs. Doug Mann and Laura Colletti; Bob and Colleen Millstone; B ruce and Kim Olson; Doug and Kathy Pope; Joe and Annie Schlafly; Tom and Mary Stillman; Ambassador Bert and Carol Walker; Stephen and Dr. Carolynn Wolff.

Proceeds from the event benefitted the nonprofit Missouri Cures Education Foundation and its efforts to educate Missourians about the importance of medical research, including stem cell research.

Debbie Davis at (314) 993-1900 or email DDavis@MissouriCures.org Checks may be mailed to: Missouri Cures Education Foundation, P.O. Box 16580, St. Louis, MO 63105.