Ushering in a "Medical Revolution"
Toronto’s Discovery District has become an important centre in the very exciting new area of research known as regenerative medicine. The recent opening of the McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine in the Toronto Medical Discovery Tower at MaRS is a prime example of this focus.
To lead this initiative, University Health Network announced in October that top stem cell researcher Gordon Keller would be returning to Canada to become founding director of the McEwen Centre. Keller had recently been working in the US and he said he was looking forward to working “with what I think is the best stem cell community in the world.”
A conference on regenerative medicine and stem cell research held at the MaRS Centre brought together the leading talents in the field, including Drs. John Dick, Michael Fehlings, Janet Rossant, Derek van der Kooy, Rudiger von Harsdorf, Thomas Waddell and George Daley from the Harvard Stem Cell Institute.
Conference speakers highlighted recent developments and the near-term prospects for this research. Some of the most notable developments in the field include the very real possibility of a cure for blindness, progress in treating leukemia and spinal cord injuries, and the potential of bone marrow cells to regenerate lung structures. In his keynote address, George Daley called Toronto “a stronghold of stem cell research contributing world class, pioneering work.”
MaRS is developing the commercialization pathway of Ontario’s world-recognized research strengths in regenerative medicine. To this end, the MaRS Venture Group has written a Regenerative Medicine industry briefing paper to map areas of strategic interest and connect our science excellence to market opportunities. The publication identifies Canada and specifically Ontario as one of the largest clusters of academic research scientists in regenerative medicine since Till and McCullough identified the first hematopoietic [blood] stem cells in the 1960s.
Aided by the Stem Cell Network, with its large network of stem cell scientists and their pooled intellectual property, MaRS hopes to play a role in increasing Canada’s global position in the regenerative medicine race.
“We are on the verge of a revolution in medicine,” said Lincoln Kim, who focuses on Life Sciences and Health Care for the MaRS Venture Group. “It’s very exciting to see the strengths of Ontario in this area, coming not only from the long history in stem cells but also from excellence in biomaterials and tissue engineering, which form this converging field.
For more information on Regenerative Medicine at MaRS, contact Lincoln Kim (lkim@marsdd.com)
To lead this initiative, University Health Network announced in October that top stem cell researcher Gordon Keller would be returning to Canada to become founding director of the McEwen Centre. Keller had recently been working in the US and he said he was looking forward to working “with what I think is the best stem cell community in the world.”
A conference on regenerative medicine and stem cell research held at the MaRS Centre brought together the leading talents in the field, including Drs. John Dick, Michael Fehlings, Janet Rossant, Derek van der Kooy, Rudiger von Harsdorf, Thomas Waddell and George Daley from the Harvard Stem Cell Institute.
Conference speakers highlighted recent developments and the near-term prospects for this research. Some of the most notable developments in the field include the very real possibility of a cure for blindness, progress in treating leukemia and spinal cord injuries, and the potential of bone marrow cells to regenerate lung structures. In his keynote address, George Daley called Toronto “a stronghold of stem cell research contributing world class, pioneering work.”
MaRS is developing the commercialization pathway of Ontario’s world-recognized research strengths in regenerative medicine. To this end, the MaRS Venture Group has written a Regenerative Medicine industry briefing paper to map areas of strategic interest and connect our science excellence to market opportunities. The publication identifies Canada and specifically Ontario as one of the largest clusters of academic research scientists in regenerative medicine since Till and McCullough identified the first hematopoietic [blood] stem cells in the 1960s.
Aided by the Stem Cell Network, with its large network of stem cell scientists and their pooled intellectual property, MaRS hopes to play a role in increasing Canada’s global position in the regenerative medicine race.
“We are on the verge of a revolution in medicine,” said Lincoln Kim, who focuses on Life Sciences and Health Care for the MaRS Venture Group. “It’s very exciting to see the strengths of Ontario in this area, coming not only from the long history in stem cells but also from excellence in biomaterials and tissue engineering, which form this converging field.
For more information on Regenerative Medicine at MaRS, contact Lincoln Kim (lkim@marsdd.com)
BROWSE PAGES
- MaRS Convergence: Spring 2008
- MaRS Convergence: Fall 2007
- MaRS Convergence: Winter 2006/07
- Global CONNECT Comes to MaRS
- Thinking Like a Citizen of the World
- Heritage Building Recognized
- Building a Successful Global Company
- Creating a Culture of Innovation
- Ushering in a "Medical Revolution"
- MaRS Educating Future Entrepreneurs
- Tenant Profile: AXS envisions what we can't see
- MaRS Joins Give a Day to AIDS Campaign
- MaRS and OCE Introduce Market Readiness Program
- MaRS Attracts International Attention
- MaRS Blog Takes Off
- MaRS Convergence: Fall 2006
- MaRS Convergence: Winter 2005
