Cell Therapy is the application of living cells to restore or enhance the function of tissues and organs. This simple version of regenerative medicine is referred to by the Food and Drug Administration as “minimal manipulation.” Cells used in this type of therapy could be adult or embryonic stem cells, or even fully differentiated adult cells in some cases. Examples would include currently useful therapies such as bone marrow transplantation; and experimental treatments, e.g. injection of bone marrow cells or cells derived from embryonic stem cells into a vein, or directly into the heart, following an experimental myocardial infarction. This is a strong area at UNMC: a number of UNMC scientists are recognized experts in Cell Therapy, and are capable of utilizing bone marrow cells as well as varieties of embryonic and adult-derived stem cells in these kinds of studies.
