Course in Human Resource Development for Regenerative Medicine/Clinical Research

Overview of the Course

The Course in Human Resource Development for Regenerative Medicine/Clinical Research will be built upon the technology in oral mucosa cell culture currently employed at our facility, and aims at the education based on translational research to cure extra-oral wounds by utilizing progenitor/stem cells in the oral cavity.

With frequent participation in international workshops (Externship Program), the course aims to foster personnel capable of serving as coordinators and managers for clinical trials.

In the area of research, by characterizing the oral mucosa cells and the cell behaviors in an in vivo condition, the course purposes to gain approval for Phase I or Phase II of this clinical trial for future clinical applications of extra-oral wound care.

Furthermore, real time and non-invasive analyses of cultured cells and the devices will be developed in parallel with identifying and isolating oral mucosa stem cells to design more efficient wound healing technique.

After harvesting oral mucosa progenitor/stem cells which are thought to reside in the cell layer not showing Ki-67 expression.

Background

  • Clinical application of cultured oral mucosa cells at Niigata University
  • Expectations for regenerative medicine for improvement in oral functions
  • Effective return of regenerative medicine research achievements to society
Solutions
  • Developing human resources acquainted with knowledge, techniques, and medical ethics on regenerative medicine
  • Training of experts who are able to manage outstanding translational research with comprehensive knowledge of cellular biological products

Challenges

  • Lag in systematic organization of regenerative research in local Universities
  • Poor understanding of translational research
  • Lack of trained personnel with management abilities
  • Need for prompt and steady management addressing international competition

Program for Human Resource Development for Regenerative Medicine Devolved by Oral Mucosa Cell Culture Technology

  • Human resource development to administer regenerative medicine research as well as manage clinical trials
  • Training of experts to perform translational research originating from dentistry
  • Establishment of a training and research center for the engineering of cultured oral mucosa cells

Provide practical programs of education and research from the field of dentistry

Description of Program

Education/Human Resource Development

  • Training of personnel in TR (Translational Research)
  • Visits and exchanges with TR center authorized persons in and outside the country
  • Participation in overseas workshops/sponsoring of seminars
  • Improvement of abilities for communication skills through English

Research

  • Oral mucosa stem cell research
  • Research and development of novel methods for oral mucosa cell culture techniques.
  • Research and development of new scaffolds

Treatment Development

  • Clinical applications for Niigata University Medical and Dental Hospital

Features of the Course

This clinical research program is both creative and novel because cells will be used to treat different tissues, not grafted back onto the originally harvested tissue. Furthermore, those cells are obtained from the easily accessed oral cavity.

In addition, while promoting clinical research, this protocol is designed to utilize a translational research prototype, which will enable the development of human resources to serve as role models in translational research. Also, in conjunction with clinical research, basic stem cell research can be advanced due to feedback from the clinical research. Thus, this course constitutes a truly groundbreaking program.

In short, this is a project which efficiently nurtures research and development ranging from basic, applied and practical levels of a state-of-art medical care derived from oral sciences.

Program for Human Resource Development for Regenerative Medicine Devolved by the Technology in Oral Mucosa Cell Culture

Practical Research Model from Dentistry for Managing Translational Research

Applied research using cultured oral mucosa cells

  • Reconstruction of mucosa defects outside the mouth using cultured oral mucosa
  • Wound care by cell-based products containing cultured cells
  • Safety-assured cell culture system
  • Establishment of non-invasive cellular analysis methods

Education and training of personnel for administering Translational Research

  • Coordinators meeting International Standards
  • Interdisciplinary exchange with professionals in other fields
  • Outstanding management skills for coordinating teams

Comprehensive Competence in Translational Research

  • Understanding of ethics, laws, systems
  • Knowledge of statistics
  • Identification of human resources
  • Project management

Identification and isolation of Oral Mucosa Stem Cells

  • Assessment of Stem Cell Markers
  • Tissue Regeneration of Oral Mucosa
  • Successful isolation of stem cell subpopulations by cell size
  • Establishment of pharmacological manipulation methods and discovery of cell signaling pathway(s) to maintain stem cell characteristics

Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Course for Oral Life Science/Medical and Dental Hospital/Department of Dentistry/Domestic and Overseas Research Institutes

Expected Outcomes/Schedule of Implementation

This will make possible the creation of the new academic field of Translational Medicine, with anticipated results in the development of new regenerative medical care technologies.

Expected Outcomes for the Entire Program

  • Human resource development playing leadership roles
  • Raising standards of excellence in graduate school instruction/research
  • Contributing to translational research in regional areas (development of new medical care)
  • International initiative, international contributions

Outcomes for Course in Human Resource Development for Regenerative Medicine/ Clinical Research

  • Expansion of regenerative medicine from dentistry
  • Fostering of personnel in implementing TR
  • Role models to achieve regenerative medicine by efficient use of time until common clinical use of iPS cells
  • Establishment of education/research models (prototypes) for accomplishing clinical studies
  • Contributions in medical care by application to oral cancer patients in developing countries

Schedule of Implementation

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