Frontiers of Medicine >

2011 , Vol. 5 >Issue 4: 333 - 335

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11684-011-0166-2

MINI-REVIEW

Overcoming the challenges of conducting translational research in cell therapy

  • Sowmya Viswanathan , 1 ,
  • Armand Keating 1,2
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  • 1. Cell Therapy Program, Princess Margaret Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, M5G 2M9, Canada
  • 2. Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto,Toronto, ON, M5G 2M9, Canada

Received date: 05 Aug 2011

Accepted date: 13 Oct 2011

Published date: 05 Dec 2011

Copyright

2014 Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Abstract

Cell therapy holds promise in addressing a number of unmet medical needs but despite its considerable impetus, faces numerous challenges including support for translational research in this area. Here, we examine the challenges confronting cell therapy research including the limited funding available for translational research partly due to the uncompetitive nature of required validation studies in cell therapy that of necessity are not hypothesis-driven. Other issues include lack of standardization of definitions of cell products, uncertainty regarding optimum preclinical animal models, duplication of efforts to secure regulatory approval and a lack of uniformity of nomenclature for some cell products. Nonetheless, several initiatives to address all of these issues are underway.

Key words： stem cells; clinical trials; funding; animal models; standardization; common definitions

Cite this article

Sowmya Viswanathan , Armand Keating . Overcoming the challenges of conducting translational research in cell therapy[J]. Frontiers of Medicine, 2011 , 5(4) : 333 -335 . DOI: 10.1007/s11684-011-0166-2

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