Educating the next-generation of regenerative physician-scientists is a strategic priority of the Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine. And, as the field advances beyond traditional management of symptoms to addressing the underlying cause of disease through curative solutions, medical education must evolve to capitalize on this ongoing evolution. At Mayo Clinic, an interest group formed by medical students is sharing new knowledge in regenerative medicine beyond the classroom.

At the recent World Stem Cell Summit, four medical students from the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine in Arizona showcased their research. The students presented five Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine posters to an international audience that included more than 2,000 physicians, scientists and bio-industry professionals. 

“This educational approach highlights the importance of learner-initiated, patient-focused education, especially in a constantly evolving field like regenerative medicine,” says Saranya Wyles, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor at Mayo Clinic and a course director for the Regenerative Medicine and Surgery curriculum. “This interest group is inspiring other students to get increasingly involved in regenerative sciences equipped with peer-developed education tools to engage the next generation.”

Mayo Clinic offers curricula in regenerative sciences across all five of its schools within the educational shield and is pioneering a patient-centered medical school selective in regenerative medicine and surgeries. The medical students who presented at the World Stem Cell Summit emerged from that selective so inspired that they have formed a regenerative medicine interest group to educate their peers on topics in regenerative medicine. The medical students, Steven Herber and Tyler Jarvis, started the group; later recruiting Jake Besch-Stokes, Christian Rosenow and Josh Spegman to serve on the leadership team. Collectively, they are increasing awareness and interest in regenerative medicine and surgery topics.  

“A group of us attended the Regenerative Medicine and Surgery Selective together in 2019,” says Steven Herber, a medical student at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine. “It was an experience that left us wanting to bring others together who were interested in regenerative medicine in order to increase exposure of regenerative sciences topics to students and connect students to researchers.”

While the idea of student-led interest groups is not new to the medical school, the group wanted to go beyond the tradition of hosting speakers and organizing educational events. In its first year, the group spearheaded innovative research centered on regenerative medicine education, including the formation of the medical student interest group, early exposure to regenerative science in elementary schools, and the availability of regenerative medicine curricula in medical schools across the United States. They have also built a repository of research mentors in regenerative medicine and made the list available to all students in the school, allowing students easy access to regenerative medicine experts.

This up and coming group of medical students is also looking to teach the next-generation of young learners. The group recently met with elementary school children in grades 3-6, gauging their ability to understand current fundamental concepts of regeneration and the body’s building blocks that allow wound healing and repair after injury.

“We found that the elementary aged students are excited about and able to engage in lessons on stem cell biology and regenerative medicine,” says Jarvis. “Next, we will work with regenerative medicine experts at Mayo Clinic to further develop age-appropriate curricula in an effort to inspire future scientists and physicians at a young age.”

“We’re committed to training the emerging workforce in regenerative science and technology,” says Richard Hayden, M.D., Center for Regenerative Medicine director of education. “These students are researching the best training and educational tools for regenerative medicine in order to enable future physicians and scientists to better understand and care for patients.”

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“This conference attracts some of the most preeminent minds in regenerative medicine and is representative of the field’s eco system.  It’s a chance to share our latest research and newest applications of validated regenerative procedures,” says Shane Shapiro, M.D., medical director of Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine Therapeutic Suites at Mayo’s Jacksonville, Florida campus.

Dr. Shapiro moderated three different sessions at this year’s World Stem Cell Summit focusing on:

• The latest  validated regenerative applications to patient care
• Regulatory guidelines  and identifying safe and trusted procedures
• Legal and ethical issues in regenerative medicine

Regenerative medicine is redefining health care with a focus on the body’s ability to heal itself.  Regenerative therapies aim to restore form and function to diseased cells, tissues, or organs — and ultimately to the individual as a whole.  Mayo Clinic is a leader in bringing the promise of regenerative medicine to patients everywhere through research, clinical trials and application to patient care.

Mayo Clinic speakers share their knowledge in the following presentations:

Carmen Terzic, M.D., Ph.D., a physiatrist and chair of Mayo Clinic Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation leads research on directing stem cells toward the formation of new heart tissue — known as cardiogenesis  — to restore function lost to damaged tissue.  Dr. Terzic presented on her research in cardiogenesis and its potential is to establish cardiovascular regenerative medicine as the new standard of care for heart disease. She also spoke about stem cells and exercise

Zubin Master, Ph.D., a bioethicist for Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine, shared his research that reveals consumers are seeing a barrage of misinformation around stem cells and regenerative medicine.  Dr. Master presented data on the demographic groups that are most likely to be seeking regenerative medicine and how they are looking for credible information to make better decisions on their care.

Quinn Peterson, Ph.D.,  a scientist in Mayo Clinic’s Islet Regeneration Program, lectured on efforts to generate engineered islets that could be used as a therapy for type 1 diabetes. Islets are clusters of cells in the pancreas that produce hormones. Dr. Peterson’s research seeks to discover whether transplantation of engineered islets may restore the body’s ability to produce insulin and regulate blood glucose in patients with type 1 diabetes.

Wenchun Qu, M.D., Ph.D., a physiatrist and pain specialist with a special interest in regenerative medicine, leads research on mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) – adult stem cells that can produce several types of cells in the musculoskeletal system such as skeletal tissue, cartilage, bone and fat.  Dr. Qu’s lecture focused on the progress of MSC therapy trials at Mayo Clinic that seek to restore form and function.

Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine is a co-sponsor of this year’s World Stem Cell Summit.

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, December 10-12 in Atlanta, unites and educates the global stem cell community. With more than 1,200 attendees from more than 40 countries, the annual World Stem Cell Summit’s interdisciplinary agenda explores disease updates, research directions, cell standardization, regulatory pathways, reimbursements, financing, venture capital and economic development.

Throughout the week, the Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine will use social media to connect using the hashtag #WSCS15. At the end of the week, we'll let the tweets, Google+ posts, Flickr photos, Facebook posts and YouTube videos tell the story.

MEDIA CONTACT:  Jennifer Schutz, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005, newsbureau@mayo.edu

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAGaPH3s74g&feature=youtu.be

The World Stem Cell Summit includes in-depth programming and more than 200 international speakers, including leaders from the Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine:

• Atta Behfar, M.D., Ph.D., is director of the Van Cleve Cardiac Regenerative Medicine Program in the Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine. Dr. Behfar and colleagues are working on new science and clinical trials in heart disease that harness the reparative capacity of a patient’s own stem cells.

• Clifford Folmes, Ph.D., is a Scholar of the Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine. His research focuses on how changes in energy metabolism direct cell fate and stem cell differentiation. Dr. Folmes has consulted for the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space regarding the implementation of stem cell research on the International Space Station.

• Thomas Gonwa, M.D., is deputy director, Translation, in the Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine. He oversees translational regenerative medicine infrastructure across all Mayo Clinic campuses, ensuring technological and translational readiness necessary to sustain scientific excellence, practice advancement and fulfillment of institutional and site-specific goals.

• David Lott, M.D., is director of the Head and Neck Transplantation and Regeneration Program at Mayo Clinic. His practice includes voice and swallowing restoration, laryngeal cancer, and laryngotracheal reconstruction. His research lab is dedicated to investigating regenerative techniques for reconstruction of head and neck defects and safely translating this technology to clinical practice.

• Alan Marmorstein, Ph.D., Professor of Ophthalmology, and his colleagues are studying how to regenerate eye tissue, or even whole eyes, using stem cells. This option would make it possible to restore vision in people who have lost it and prevent loss of vision in those at risk.

• Timothy Nelson, M.D., Ph.D., is director of the Todd and Karen Wanek Family Program for Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS). In the program, Mayo Clinic physicians and researchers are working to launch clinical trials that bring the latest advances in cell therapy to people with HLHS. Additionally, Dr. Nelson oversees the Regenerative Medicine Consult Service at Mayo Clinic, which provides educational information and appropriate referrals to patients who want to learn about regenerative medicine opportunities at Mayo Clinic and elsewhere.

• Zachary Resch, Ph.D., is assistant professor of medicine and program manager for the Center for Regenerative Medicine Biotrust at Mayo Clinic. The Biotrust specializes in the collection, processing, and storage of patient-specific induced pluripotent and mesenchymal stem cell lines for use in regenerative medicine-related activities including diagnostics, therapeutics and modeling.

• Shane Shapiro, M.D., is a consultant in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Mayo Clinic and is Assistant Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. A primary focus of his research has been the study of novel regenerative techniques for chronic non-healing bone, joint, muscle, tendon, ligament and skin maladies that are not candidates for conventional surgical management. Dr. Shapiro has research protocols involving adipose derived stem cells to treat arthritis, and recently, completed an FDA IND clinical trial using mesenchymal stem cells to treat osteoarthritic knees.

• Andre Terzic, M.D., Ph.D., is the Michael S. and Mary Sue Shannon Director, Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine and Marriott Family Professor in Cardiovascular Diseases Research. Dr. Terzic has pioneered regenerative medicine at Mayo Clinic, and his program capitalizes on emerging technologies to transform therapeutic modalities from palliative measures to cures.

• Anthony Windebank, M.D., a neurologist and cell biologist, is deputy director for discovery in the Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine. He is director of the Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory, which focuses on neuroprotection, repair and regeneration after spinal cord and peripheral nerve injury and stem cell applications for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease.

• Henry Walker is program manager for the Mayo Clinic Advanced Product Incubator (API), a state of the art manufacturing facility that supports human phase I/II trials for the Center for Regenerative Medicine. The API is designed to accelerate the discovery, translation and application of novel regenerative products with the focus on developing cell-free biologics-based platforms.

• Abba Zubair, M.D., Ph.D., is a consultant in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology and medical director, Transfusion Medicine and Stem Cell Therapy at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla. Dr. Zubair’s research focuses on the use of stem cells for regenerative medicine applications. He recently received an award from NASA (CASIS) that will allow him to use the microgravity environment to grow stem cells that are of sufficient quality and quantity to use in the treatment of patients with stroke.

Related Links
Mayo Clinic at World Stem Cell Summit 2014
Mayo Clinic at World Stem Cell Summit 2013

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Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine to Co-Host World Stem Cell Summit in San Antonio

The World Stem Cell Summit

, December 3-5 in San Antonio, unites and educates the global stem cell community. With more than 1,200 attendees from more than 40 countries, the annual World Stem Cell Summit’s interdisciplinary agenda explores disease updates, research directions, cell standardization, regulatory pathways, reimbursements, financing, venture capital and economic development.

Throughout the week, the Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine will use social media to connect using the hashtag #WSCS14. At the end of the week, we'll let the tweets, Google+ posts, Flickr photos, Facebook posts and YouTube videos tell the story.

The World Stem Cell Summit includes in-depth programming and more than 200 international speakers, including leaders from the Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine:

• Atta Behfar, M.D., Ph.D., is director of the Cardiac Regeneration Program in the Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine. Dr. Behfar and colleagues are working on new science and clinical trials in heart disease that harness the reparative capacity of a patient’s own stem cells.
• Jeffrey Janus, M.D. is assistant professor in Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. He specializes in head & neck oncologic and reconstructive surgery. Dr. Janus's research endeavors primarily focus on craniofacial bone restoration and stem cell solutions for radiation damage.
• Timothy Nelson, M.D., Ph.D., is director of the Todd and Karen Wanek Family Program for Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS). In the program, Mayo Clinic physicians and researchers are working to launch clinical trials that bring the latest advances in cell therapy to people with HLHS. Additionally, Dr. Nelson oversees the Regenerative Medicine Consult Service at Mayo Clinic, which provides educational information and appropriate referrals to patients who want to learn about regenerative medicine opportunities at Mayo Clinic and elsewhere.
• Zachary Resch, Ph.D., is assistant professor of medicine and program manager for the Center for Regenerative Medicine Biotrust at Mayo Clinic. The Biotrust is specializes in the collection, processing, and storage of human biomaterials for regenerative medicine applications.
• Shane Shapiro, M.D., is a consultant in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Mayo Clinic and is an instructor of Family Medicine at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. A primary focus of his research has been the study of novel regenerative techniques for chronic non-healing bone, joint, muscle, tendon, ligament and skin maladies that are not candidates for conventional surgical management. Most recently, the FDA has granted Dr. Shapiro an investigational new drug (IND) to study the use of autologous enriched bone marrow aspirate for use in osteoarthritic knees.
• Nathan Staff, M.D., a neurologist clinician-investigator, uses neuroregenerative strategies in both laboratory-based model systems and human clinical trials to study disorders that damage the peripheral nervous system. His research focuses on chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease).  He has been one of the leaders of Mayo Clinic’s Phase I Clinical Safety Trial studying injection of autologous mesenchymal stem cells in patients with ALS.
• Andre Terzic, M.D., Ph.D., is the Michael S. and Mary Sue Shannon Director, Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine and Marriott Family Professor in Cardiovascular Diseases Research. Dr. Terzic has pioneered regenerative medicine at Mayo Clinic, and his program capitalizes on emerging technologies to transform therapeutic modalities from palliative measures to cures.
• Anthony Windebank, M.D., a neurologist and molecular biologist, is deputy director for discovery in the Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine. He is director of the Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory, which focuses on repair and regeneration after spinal cord injury, repair and regeneration of peripheral nerve and stem cell applications for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease.
• Michael Yaszemski, M.D., Ph.D., is a Mayo Clinic orthopedic surgeon, biomedical engineer, and co-director for both bone regeneration and nerve injury research at Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine. He will participate in a session on the United States military investment in Regenerative Medicine session.
• Abba Zubair, M.D., Ph.D., is a consultant in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology and medical director, Transfusion Medicine and Stem Cell Therapy at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla. Dr. Zubair’s research focuses on the use of stem cells for regenerative medicine applications. He recently received an award from NASA (CASIS) that will allow him to use the microgravity environment to grow stem cells that are of sufficient quality and quantity to use in the treatment of patients with stroke.

About the World Stem Cell Summit

Mayo Clinic, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Kyoto University Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS), BioBridge Global, Baylor College of Medicine and the Regenerative Medicine Foundation have joined the Genetics Policy Institute to organize the 10th Annual World Stem Cell Summit — the largest and most comprehensive multi-track interdisciplinary stem cell conference.

Related Links
Mayo Clinic at World Stem Cell Summit 2013
Mayo Clinic at World Stem Cell Summit 2012

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The World Stem Cell Summit, December 4-6 in San Diego, unites and educates the global stem cell community. With more than 1,200 attendees from more than 40 countries, the annual World Stem Cell Summit’s interdisciplinary agenda explores disease updates, research directions, cell standardization, regulatory pathways, reimbursements, financing, venture capital and economic development.

Journalists: Mayo Clinic physicians and scientists and others are available to discuss current research and the development of new therapies in the field of stem cells and regenerative medicine. To arrange an interview, contact Jennifer Schutz, Mayo Clinic Public Affairs, 507-284-5005 or newsbureau@mayo.edu.

The World Stem Cell Summit includes in-depth programming and more than 170 international speakers, including the leaders from the Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine who are listed below.

• Atta Behfar, M.D., Ph.D., is director of the Cardiac Regeneration Program in the Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine. Dr. Behfar and colleagues are studying the repair capacity of a patient’s own stem cells prior to delivery into the heart muscle, offering new-era regenerative platforms for patients with life-threatening heart disease.
• Allan Dietz, Ph.D., co-director of the Human Cell Therapy Laboratory within the Center for Regenerative Medicine, focuses on the use of cells as drugs to suppress immunity and enhance tissue repair.
• Clifford Folmes, Ph.D., is a research fellow in cardiovascular disease research. At the World Stem Cell Summit, Dr. Folmes will participate in a panel discussion on stem cells in microgravity.
• Timothy Nelson, M.D., Ph.D., is director of the Todd and Karen Wanek Family Program for Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS). In the program, a diverse group of Mayo Clinic physicians and researchers are working to launch clinical trials that bring the latest advances in cell therapy to people with HLHS. Additionally, Dr. Nelson oversees the Regenerative Medicine Consult Service at Mayo Clinic, which provides educational information and appropriate referrals to patients who want to learn about regenerative medicine opportunities at Mayo Clinic and elsewhere.
• Sanjay Patel, M.D., is a corneal specialist and corneal transplant surgeon who has research interests in Fuchs’ endothelial dystrophy, the most common indicator for corneal transplantation at Mayo Clinic, and in developing regenerative medicine methods of treating corneal disease.
• Jorge Rakela, M.D., is associate director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine. Dr. Rakela’s research is focused on acute and chronic liver diseases, specifically in the area of hepatic regeneration.
• Stephen Russell, M.D., Ph.D., is deputy director for Translation in the Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine. He is professor of medicine in the Department of Hematology, and his research is focused on converting viruses into powerful anticancer drugs.
• Robert Simari, M.D., is co-director of the Valve and Vascular Regeneration and Repair Program at Mayo Clinic. In the program, teams are creating biological heart valves and developing ways to enhance blood vessel growth and repair to treat the underlying sources of cardiovascular diseases.
• Andre Terzic, M.D., Ph.D., Michael S. and Mary Sue Shannon Director, Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine and Marriott Family Professor in Cardiovascular Diseases Research. Dr. Terzic has pioneered regenerative medicine at Mayo Clinic, and his program capitalizes on emerging technologies to transform therapeutic modalities from palliative measures to cures.
• Anthony Windebank, M.D., a neurologist and molecular biologist, is deputy director for Discovery in the Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine. He is director of the Cellular Neurobiology Laboratory, which focuses on repair and regeneration after spinal cord injury, repair and regeneration of peripheral nerve and stem cell applications for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease. 

About the World Stem Cell Summit
Mayo Clinic, California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, and Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS) at Kyoto University have joined Genetics Policy Institute to organize the 9th Annual World Stem Cell Summit — the largest and most comprehensive multi-track interdisciplinary stem cell conference.

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Andre Terzic, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Center for Regenerative Medicine at Mayo Clinic, says, “The summit is a great opportunity for the community of regenerative medicine to gather and share the advances of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine and surgery today.”

Mayo Clinic, California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, and Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute have joined GPI to organize the summit which will be held at the Hilton Bayside San Diego, December 4-6, 2013.

Visit the 2013 World Stem Cell Summit website to learn more. Follow #wscs13

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