What is Regenerative Cell Therapy?

Regenerative medicine and cell therapies focus on repairing, replacing, and restoring function to tissues or organs that have been damaged due to disease, trauma, or congenital issues. Many different types of cells are being explored for use in these therapies, including mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs, which can be derived from bone marrow, cord blood or cord tissue, adipose tissue, placenta or other sources), hematopoietic stem cells, skeletal muscle stem cells, lymphocytes, induced pluripotent stem cells, and many others.

There are thousands of clinical trials underway to explore the use of RMCTs for many conditions, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, degenerative joint conditions, neurological conditions, wound healing, and most recently, COVID-19.

How Can the Federal Government Help?

Specifically, Congress should focus on increasing federal funding for clinical trials, greenlighting a national outcomes database, and enacting evidence-based regulations that keep pace with innovation. Congress can also aid consumers by continuing to explore ways to make cutting-edge healthcare affordable for every American and by ensuring that our education system is preparing young minds to work in this highly technical field.