National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Support of Cellular Therapies Regenerative Medicine

Scientific advances have provided new and unprecedented opportunities for the therapeutic use of stem, progenitor, and differentiated cells for the future treatment of heart, lung, blood, and sleep disorders. Stem and progenitor cells have the potential to replace cells that are damaged or diseased, restore vital functions, and offer the promise of curing disease and ending disabilities. The potential for safe new treatments can only be realized if preclinical and clinical research programs provide the scientific and clinical basis to establish new therapies for regenerative medicine. NHLBI seeks to catalyze translational efforts in this area by supporting key efforts needed for the field’s development. This chapter discusses NHLBI support for cellular therapies and illustrates this support with descriptions of two key programs, one for research centers and the other providing key resources.