Dr. Stephen Badylak revisits Regenerative Medicine Today to share updates on his exciting studies on tissue engineering.  In February 2006, in Podcast #3 described his use of tissue engineering materials that helps heal skin wounds, torn tendons, injured rotator cuffs, hiatal hernias, and other soft tissue. In that podcast, Dr. Badylak recounted how he [...]

In Podcast 28, we meet Thomas R. Harris, MD, PhD, the Orrin Henry Ingram Distinguished Professor of Engineering and Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Medicine at Vanderbilt University.  Dr. Harris also serves as chair of Vanderbilt’s Department of Biomedical Engineering. Dr. Harris is a Fellow and past president of the American [...]

In Podcast 27, we meet Dr. Michael Chancellor who is a Professor of Urology at the University of Pittsburgh as well as a practicing OBGYN. Within the School of Medicine, he is also the Director of Neurourology and Urinary Incontinence Programs. In addition, Dr. Chancellor is the Director of the Mentored Clinical Scientist [...]

Many of our listeners are familiar with intravascular stents, a commonly used tool to help treat coronary artery disease. The stents used today are metallic, and some of the stents are coated to reduce the post-implant complications of this “foreign” device being inserted in the body. In today's podcast, Dr. Robert Eberhart discusses [...]

Most of us view inflammation in our bodies as something to avoid at all cost.  Severe inflammatory situations such as sepsis, also known as systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), is a serious medical condition caused by the body’s response to an infection. Sepsis can lead to organ failure, gangrene, and even death. Clearly [...]

As Regenerative Medicine Today celebrates its first anniversary, we welcome back our first guest from December 2005: Dr. Alan Russell, director of the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine. As a pioneer of and expert in regenerative medicine, Dr. Russell is well qualified to comment on the status and future of this fascinating and [...]

According to the National Institutes of Health, nearly 300,00 people in the United States with kidney failure visit a clinic three or four days a week for four to six hours of dialysis. Imagine if these patients could have their blood cleansed of impurities while they slept in their own beds. In this [...]

How do you turn a rust belt city into a world leader in biotechnology? Doros Platika, MD, has some ideas. Until December 1, 2006, Dr. Platika served as the president and chief executive officer of the Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse, a public/private partnership that invests in and supports the growth of life sciences [...]

Organ transplantation is a magnificent display both of medicine and the human spirit: The achievements of people who have received new hearts and other organs are truly amazing. Many of those triumphs are showcased in the U.S. Transplant Games, a biennial, Olympic-style athletic contest organized by the National Kidney Foundation. Events include swimming, [...]

In our last two podcasts we learned about the bioengineering and clinical use of artificial heart technology. In today’s podcast, you’ll hear about another approach to treatment for heart failure using lab-grown tissues. Dr. William Wagner is working to reconstruct damaged arteries and veins with scaffolds, and is leading a team that is [...]