Regenerative Medicine Today #55

Thursday, September 4. 2008

Listen to show #55 here!
RegenMedToday_055_Sep2008.mp3 [11.3 MB 00:19:33 80kbps]

Thomas TillettRegenerative Medicine Today welcomes Dr. Newell Washburn who is an Assistant Professor, in the Departments of Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.

Dr. Washburn’s primary research interests include wound healing and bone tissue engineering though the use of biomaterials that can used to form novel polymeric scaffolds for regenerative therapy, transport and interactions of signaling proteins with scaffolds and extracellular matrix. His focus is on creating materials capable of regulating the activities of soluble signaling proteins involved in inflammatory and immune responses. He discusses his current studies, and shares his vision on the application of these emerging technologies for clinical applications.

For more information about the Washburn Lab, please Click Here

For more information about the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, visit:

Host John Murphy

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Regenerative Medicine Today #54

Wednesday, August 20. 2008

Listen to show #54 here!
RegenMedToday_054_Aug2008.mp3 [12.3 MB 00:21:19 80kbps]

Thomas TillettRegenerative Medicine Today welcomes Thomas Tillett who is the founding President and CEO of RheoGene. Under Mr. Tillett’s leadership, RheoGene established an innovative clinical development program with the RheoSwitch ™ Therapeutic System that has led to the first human clinical trial of a small molecule induced gene regulation system.

A Phase I clinical trial for melanoma was started in 2008. This represents a major advance for gene therapy therapeutics that offers the potential for significant improvements in safer and more controllable forms of gene therapy. RheoGene also received a $4.3 million grant from the Michael J. Fox Foundation to support the development of a novel therapeutic for Parkinson’s disease.

Mr. Tillett also led the successful merger of RheoGene Inc. with Intrexon Corporation at the beginning of 2007.

Now as an independent expert and consultant, he shares with Regenerative Medicine Today his vision on the opportunities for gene therapy.

For more information about the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, visit:

Host John Murphy

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Regenerative Medicine Today #53

Tuesday, July 29. 2008

Listen to show #53 here!
RegenMedToday_053_Jul2008.mp3 [16.2 MB 00:28:09 80kbps]

Latha Satish, Ph.D.Regenerative Medicine Today welcomes Joel Schuman, MD.  Dr. Schuman is the Eye and Ear Foundation Professor and Chairman of Department of Ophthalmology.  He also serves as director of the UPMC Eye Center, and holds secondary appointments as a professor in Bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh and professor, Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Carnegie Mellon University.

Dr. Joel Schuman is considered to be one of the nation’s leading authorities on the treatment of glaucoma.  Dr. Schuman’s research interests include imaging of the eye, laser-tissue interactions, aqueous outflow, and clinical pharmacology. 

In this interview, he discusses diagnostic imaging and describes a new initiative via the Center for Ocular Regeneration and Vision Restoration.

Click Here to learn more about Dr. Schuman’s program.

For more information about the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, visit:

Host John Murphy

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Podcast Directory

Monday, July 28. 2008

What is Regenerative Medicine?

Regenerative medicine is an exciting new field that seeks to understand how the body heals under normal conditions, then harness and amplify that process when and where it is needed most. Regenerative medicine treatments promote the growth of natural tissues or replicate the functions of those tissues to treat injuries and diseases that have not yet been conquered by traditional medicine. Regenerative medicine brings together biology, medicine, genetics, engineering, chemistry, robotics, computer science, and other fields to develop artificial organs, specially grown tissues and cells (including stem cells), laboratory-made compounds, and combinations of these approaches.

Regenerative Medicine Podcasts

The regenerative medicine podcast is published bi-weekly and features scientists and clinicians who are preeminent in regenerative medicine research and clinical translation. All interviews currently available are at www.regenerativemedicinetoday.com. You can download interviews to your PC or subscribe to the RSS feed on your iPod or PC.

The podcasts available for listening/download are:

Regenerative Medicine Today #52

Wednesday, June 25. 2008

Listen to show #52 here!
RegenMedToday_052_Jun2008.mp3 [11.9 MB 00:20:44 80kbps]

Latha Satish, Ph.D.Regenerative Medicine Today welcomes Latha Satish, Ph.D.  Dr. Satish is a Research Assistant Professor, Scarless Wound Healing Program at the Allegheny-Singer Research Institute.

Her focus is on the biology of scarless wound healing, with specific interest on identifying novel genes that are responsible for scarless wound healing. 

As she describes, wound healing is a complex biological process that involves migration and proliferation of cells to repopulate the defect, synthesis of extracellular matrix proteins and remodeling of scar to re-establish the organ integrity. Further complicating this is that to regenerate functional skin, the dermal and epidermal layers should act in an orchestrated manner. How the major cells of each layer, fibroblasts in the dermis and keratinocytes in the epidermis coordinate their response is unknown.

Click Here to learn more about Dr. Satish’s program.

For more information about the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, visit:

Host John Murphy

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Regenerative Medicine Today #51

Friday, June 6. 2008

Listen to show #51 here!
RegenMedToday_051_Jun2008.mp3 [11.9 MB 00:29:27 80kbps]

Jörg C. Gerlach, M.D., Ph.D.Regenerative Medicine Today welcomes Jörg C. Gerlach, M.D., Ph.D.

Dr. Gerlach is Professor of Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh. Prior to his current appointment Dr. Gerlach founded the Charité Institute for Transplantation and Organ Regeneration (CITO) at the Charité Medical Faculty of the Humboldt University Berlin, Germany.

His specialties lie in surgery, hepatology, intensive care and experimental transplantation medicine. Additionally, he has an engineering background with expertise in artificial organ development, hybrid system research and preclinical trial efforts.

Dr. Gerlach discusses his work on the development of tools such as bioreactors for the expansion of cells so that sufficient cells are available for cell-based therapies.  Areas of focus include pancreas, and liver.  He also explores the development of “cell factories” for the production of cells from a patient’s bone marrow.

Another of Dr. Gerlach’s interests is cell-based burn therapy, which is described on the interview.

Click Here to learn more about Dr. Gerlach’s Bioreactor Group

For more information about the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, visit:

Host John Murphy

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Regenerative Medicine Today #50

Tuesday, April 29. 2008

Listen to show #50 here!
RegenMedToday_050_Apr2008.mp3 [11.6 MB 00:20:03 80kbps]

Steve WinowichRegenerative Medicine Today welcomes Dr. Kacey Marra

Dr. Marra is an Assistant Professor of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh and Director of the Plastic Surgery Lab at the University of Pittsburgh.  Dr. Marra’s research is focused on the use of adipose derived stem cells for the regeneration of nerve, bone, adipose and cartilage.  The lab uses adipose-derived stem cells for these bioengineering applications.

The Lab is combining basic science and clinical research to turn innovative ideas into realities through the use of adult stem cells derived from fat. Fat, or adipose tissue, contains an abundant number of adult stem cells, over 10 times more than in bone marrow. These cells not only regenerate adipose tissue, but they can reconstruct a variety of injuries and defects by being coaxed to develop into nerves, bone, or cartilage.

Finally, Dr. Marra discusses her strong commitment to mentoring women and minorities in the career opportunities that are available in science and medicine.

Adipose Stem Cell Center, click here

Click Here for more information on the Plastic Surgery Research program

Click Here for Research Opportunities for High School Students (ROHSS)

For more information about the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, visit:

Host John Murphy

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Regenerative Medicine Today #49

Monday, March 24. 2008

Listen to show #49 here!
RegenMedToday_049_Mar2008.mp3 [14.9 MB 00:25:56 80kbps]

Steve WinowichRegenerative Medicine Today welcomes Steve Winowich

Steve Winowich is the Director of Clinical Bioengineering with the Artificial Heart Program at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and he is also the Chief Operating Officer of Vital Engineering, Inc.

Mr. Winowich describes a unique partnership between the clinical staff and a team of bioengineers and nurses who are a key component of a very successful program that provides mechanical circulatory support to patients that are waiting for a heart transplant.  Supplemental circulatory support has been traditionally used as a bridge to a transplant, but there are also cases where the circulatory support has also been used as a bridge to recovery.

The discussion includes a synopsis of the current state-of-the-art and a review of how artificial heart technology has improved over the years.  The program at UPMC has matured and through Vital Engineering, Inc. bioengineering support for mechanical circulatory support is now provided around the world.

Click Here for more information on the Artificial Heart Program

For Clinical Applications

Click Here for more information about Vital Engineering

For more information about the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, visit:

Host John Murphy

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