Regenerative Medicine Foundation 2014 Conference

REGMEDCON 2014 was held May 5-7 at the Claremont Hotel in Berkeley, CA. Through the leadership of talented reps from CIRM, SCTM, the Human Organ Project, the Regenerative Medicine Foundation, and the International Perinatal Stem Cell Society, this amazing three-day program showcased regenerative medicine from a variety of perspectives, including latest discoveries and progress being made in the field today. As the field of regenerative medicine advances every day toward real cures for real patients - with real regulatory approval and real financial coverage - it was clear that our participants are the visionaries making progress towards our common goal. Attendees participated in panel sessions and presentations, including dynamic keynote and lunch speakers, the "Keys to the Cure" art exhibit, the inaugural Perinatal Stem Cell Forum, and the return of the Executive Innovation Summit. This year's event showcased many of the leaders in the field. Sessions included: - Alpha Stem Cell Clinic - This session detailed the progress and future aspirations for the alpha stem cell clinic to enable commercialization of medical devices, reagents, and other products required for cell therapies through the development and dissemination of innovative methods and procedures for reg med based products. - A Paradigm Shift in Healthcare: How do We See the Field Moving Forward? Focused on how the investments made into the field of reg med will reduce overall health care cost/burden and some insights for making smart investments in the future to advance the field. - Perspectives Guiding Engineered Reg Med Technologies Toward the Clinic - Provided updates on the latest advances moving forward in tissue engineering that is destined for the clinic. - Regulatory Pathways for Reg Medicine - Overview of the current regulatory hurdles facing the field of reg med and identified key areas the field should focus on to ensure these barriers are circumvented. - Strategic Partners in the Reg Medicine Arena - Discussion of considerations for developing partnerships in the field. - Leveraging Standards to Expedite Clinical Product Delivery and Biobanking Services / Joint AABB/RMF session - Focused on the development of standards for cell therapy and biobanking by leaders in the field. - Regenerative Medicine Outreach Efforts - Commitment to Awareness - The Art of Science and Awareness Session - Joined scientists with the community and patient advocates with the mystery and promise of reg med communicated through the lens of art and photography. - Filling Clinical Gaps with Translational Reg Medicine: Who, What, How, & When? Addressed current roadblocks that are hindering the translation of reg med and provided specific plans on how to circumvent these roadblocks that funding agencies can use to accelerate the development of these therapies from bench to bedside. - Government Support in US Strategies to Bring Reg Medicine to the Patient - Provided an update on government sponsored programs that are developing resources, processes, and technologies to advance the field of reg med with a focus on transitioning research efforts into first in human clinical trials. - Priorities for Industry in this Rapidly Evolving Field /ISCT/RMF Joint Session - highlighted the key areas industry should focus on in this rapidly evolving field. - Reg Medicine, Bioprinting, and Biosensing Technology for Human Testing - Advancements made in the development of a platform technology to mimic and test for human diseases in the laboratory, using bioprinted tissues and organs. - Product Development Towards Commercialization in Reg Medicine - Focus on principles relating to product development that will enable commercialization in reg med. - Process Challenges to Scale-up Manufacturing in Regenerative Medicine - Focus on the requirements to enable scale-up manufacturing in reg med. - Infrastructure Needs for Manufacturing in Regenerative Medicine - Focus on developing infrastructure to enable manufacturing in reg med that will transverse the gap from research and development towards commercialization and wide spread use. - Keynotes: Dr. Joanne Kurtzberg - Cord Blood: Non-hematopoietic based advances in the field; Dr. Irv Weissman - Normal and Neoplastic Stem Cells; Dr. Daniel Kraft - The Future of Health and Medicine, Where Can Technology Take Us?; and Jamey Jacobs - In-situ Arterial Tissue Regeneration: The Promise of Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffolds? The Int'l Perinatal Stem Cell Society hosted it’s first Forum on Wednesday. Presentations included: Intro to Perinatal Stem Cells; Cord Tissue Overview and Cord Tissue for Co-Transplant; Placental Stem Cells; Placenta/Amnion/Amniotic Fluid Stem Cells; Amniotic Membrane Derived Cells and their Future Applications; Amnio and Grafix Products; Amnion Epithelial Stem Cells; Amniotic Fluid Stem Cells and Potential Perinatal Stem Cell Use in Transplantation. Keynote speaker was Dr. Robert Hariri - Placenta, Innovation, Cell Manufacturing