Australia has an exciting opportunity to be a leader in Advanced Stem Cell Therapies

Advanced stem cell therapies refer to four categories of medical innovations offering the potential to address the underlying causes of diseases rather than merely managing symptoms.

This means potential cures for previously untreatable conditions – and an exciting future in health.

1. A stem cell line carries all of the genetic information from a donor, and can be made into laboratory grown tissues, including blood cells, kidney, heart, lung and brain cells.

2. There are over 3000 stem cell lines made from Australian donors.

3. Stem cells are used to help diagnose rare diseases and can be used to screen new medicines to help patients with rare or orphan diseases.

4. While some stem cells (hESC) can be made from excess IVF embryos, very few of these have been made in Australia.

5. Most Australian pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) are made from adult tissue – from blood, skin, saliva, even from cells found in urine.

6. Even when made from adult tissues, pluripotent stem cells literally ‘turned back time’ on the biological clock – behaving like cells from the very early embryo.

7. Australian stem cell researchers are pioneering treatments for Parkinson’s disease, Motor Neuron Disease and Blindness

8. Stem cells are being used to power new forms of brain-mimicking computers.

9. Stem cells can be used to model normal tissue, but can also be engineered with functions that don’t exist within the human body helping us visualise where stem cell transplants go and how well they function.

Mapping Australia's Stem Cell Environment

Prof Christine Wells, Department of Anatomy & Physiology, partnered with HOYA Consulting to look in detail at the advanced stem cell therapies landscape.

Located in Australia’s Parkville biomedical precinct, the University of Melbourne works in a melting pot of research, clinical trials, manufacturing expertise in cell and gene-based medicine development.

Together with partners locally, nationally and internationally, we are developing courses in Contemporary Cell and Gene Therapies, connecting our students with a professional network of leaders and growing the diverse pool of skilled graduates needed for the sector to grow and thrive.

It’s exciting to be part of nurturing the stem cell leaders of tomorrow knowing they will step into a thriving local sector. One where the translation of Australian research in innovative stem cell therapies support global health challenges