The first isolation of embryonic stem cells in 1981 brought the promise of effective treatments for conditions from heart disease to spinal cord injury to diabetes. Unfortunately, despite intense research, few viable stem cell-based therapies have emerged over the last 30 years. More recently, significant progress has been made in understanding stem cell niches and factors governing homing, activation and differentiation of adult stem cells fueling hope of second-generation stem cell therapies. This interdisciplinary symposium will convene leading experts in the fields of adult stem cell research, tissue regeneration and bioengineering to discuss cutting edge research with an emphasis on strategies for clinical translation.
