The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) will establish a DFG Research Centre on “Regenerative Therapy” at the Dresden University of Technology. This decision was made by the DFG’s Joint Committee at its meeting on 2 September 2005. The aim is to create an internationally recognised centre for basic research on the development of regenerative therapeutic approaches for a wide variety of diseases. The centre will receive EUR20 million in funding over the first four years. The Dresden centre will begin its work with comprehensive basic research in the field of cellular and developmental biology, including stem cell research. In the longer term, it is planned to build on this to develop new therapeutic approaches. Stem cell therapy is viewed as having great potential for the treatment of many diseases since it enables controlled tissue regeneration. The cellular mechanisms that control the activity of these stem cells remain largely unknown, however. This is the problem that the centre, which will involve researchers from the life sciences, natural sciences and engineering sciences, aims to address first. One particularly promising project will use model organisms to study the ability for tissue regeneration, extrapolating this information to predict the potential for clinical applications. The long-term goal of the Dresden initiative is to develop approaches for treating metabolic diseases, cancer and immunodeficiencies; diabetes; brain and spinal injuries; for bone and cartilage replacement; and for the treatment of cardiovascular disease.
