| News Advisory
NIH to Hold Symposium on Cardiovascular
Regenerative Medicine |
| What: |
To accelerate the advancement of stem cell
biology from bench to bedside for treatment of cardiovascular
disease, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will host
the scientific symposium Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine
at the NIH Natcher Conference Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
Sessions will cover lessons learned from hematopoiesis, specification
and use of embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells, including
those derived from bone marrow (hematopoietic, endothelial
progenitor cells, and mesenchymal stem cells) and adult cardiac
stem cells that naturally reside in the heart; growth factors
to stimulate formation of new blood vessels (vascular regeneration)
and to repair or regenerate cardiac tissue (cardiac regeneration);
and technologies for monitoring cell activity. |
| Why: |
Stem cell therapies to repair or regenerate
tissue or blood vessels could provide a revolutionary approach
to helping patients with cardiovascular disease, including
the almost 16 million Americans who live with damaged heart
muscle or blood vessels due to a heart attack, chest pain,
or blocked arteries.
The goal of the symposium is to stimulate discussion about
tissue specification in stem cell biology and cardiovascular
development, and to identify areas of opportunity for applying
regenerative therapies to cardiovascular disease. Recent
discoveries on the mechanisms of action of various types
of stem cells, findings from animal models and cell-based
clinical trials, and other issues critical to bridging the
gap between knowledge and clinical applications will also
be addressed. |
| When: |
Monday, October 1 and Tuesday, October 2,
2007
8:00 A.M. – 5:30 P.M. (both days) |
| Who: |
Prominent researchers and clinical cardiovascular
experts from the United States, as well as Australia, Belgium,
Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom
will discuss the emerging science, animal models, and clinical
applications of stem cell therapies for cardiovascular disease.
Elizabeth G. Nabel, M.D., Director, National Heart, Lung,
and Blood Institute and Organizing Committee Chair Manfred
Boehm, M.D., Principal Investigator within the Cardiology
Branch of NHLBI's Division of Intramural Research, will provide
opening remarks. |
Part of the National Institutes of Health, the National Heart,
Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) plans, conducts, and supports
research related to the causes, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment
of heart, blood vessel, lung, and blood diseases; and sleep disorders.
The Institute also administers national health education campaigns
on women and heart disease, healthy weight for children, and other
topics. NHLBI press releases and other materials are available
online at: www.nhlbi.nih.gov.
The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health was established
by the United States Congress to support the mission of the National
Institutes of Health — improving health through scientific
discovery. The Foundation identifies and develops opportunities
for innovative public-private partnerships involving industry,
academia, and the philanthropic community. A non-profit, 501(c)(3)
corporation the Foundation raises private-sector funds for a broad
portfolio of unique programs that complement and enhance NIH priorities
and activities.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation's
Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and
Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting
and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research,
and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both
common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and
its programs, visit www.nih.gov. |
