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Other Initiatives
Using Stem Cells to Heal
Stem Cell Research Lab: Using Stem Cells to Heal
Launched
2022 March
<p>Support the ground-breaking work of the RI-MUHC’s Stem Cell Research Lab.<strong></strong><em></em></p>
Support the ground-breaking work of the RI-MUHC’s Stem Cell Research Lab.
Explore the transformative potential of stem cells, the body's natural healers, capable of regenerating damaged tissue and changing lives. Your support fuels groundbreaking research, bringing us closer to revolutionary treatments for a range of debilitating illnesses. Join us in advancing this crucial work, making a difference in the lives of countless patients.
Progress
Money raised to date
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What
The Cellular Therapy Laboratory is the backbone of regenerative treatment and research at the MUHC.
The Cellular Therapy Laboratory, or CTL for short, provides the resources for life-saving stem cell therapies, such as CAR T-cells for cancer treatment. The laboratory also serves as the central hub for the world-class scientists of the Research Institute (RI-MUHC) and the McGill Regenerative Medicine network (MRM), chasing down new ways to save more Canadians from the ravages of disease, particularly progressive degenerative diseases for which there are no known cures.
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How
The lab helps enrol more patients in stem cell clinical trials and reduces the number of patients who need to travel abroad for treatment.
Regenerative medicine is still in its infancy and has already delivered spectacular advances in our understanding of human biology. It has led to new treatments to fight cancer, transplant rejection, and autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis—to name only a few. Here are just a few highlights of the lab’s integral role in several ground-breaking research initiatives:
New cancer treatments
The ZUMA-7 clinical trial successfully tested stem cell transplantation against immune therapy for cancer treatment. Thanks to the CTL's participation in this research, CAR-T immune cells will soon be available as a standard cancer treatment at the MUHC.
Reducing transplant rejection
The CTL is powering a study led by transplant surgeon Dr. Jean Tchervenkov, who is using stem cells to combat rejection. When a patient receives a kidney transplant, it typically doesn’t function correctly for several weeks, and is at high risk for rejection. Stem cells may help the donor kidney to become functional sooner.
Stem cells to treat COVID-19
The CTL is participating in a MUHC study testing whether the infusion of commercially-produced stem cells can alleviate lung damage in patients with COVID-19.
