Regenerative medicine is the process of creating living, functional tissues to repair or replace tissue or organ function loss due to age, disease, damage or congenital effects. A cell-based therapy, regenerative medicine involves the injection of stem or progenitor cells, the induction of generation by biologically active molecules, and transplantation of in vitro-grown organs and tissues. The field overlaps with tissue engineering; however, its focus is on how the body can use cells, biomolecules and supporting structures to heal.
Each cell of the adult body has regenerative properties – some more than others. Investigators at the Indiana Center for Regenerative Medicine and Engineering are focused on reprogramming adult tissue utilizing proprietary technologies that can be readily applied in a clinical setting without any laboratory-based procedures. The goal of the center is to develop transformative health care solutions that will have a tremendous effect on the lives of patients in Indiana and beyond.