Stem Cells for Regenerative Medicine: a Roadmap for the Clinic (P02824)

? Credit Points : 10 ? SCQF Level : 11 ? Acronym : BMS-P-MED

This course will provide focus on the requirements for achieving translational outcomes from stem cell research. Topics covered will include:
i) Planning the route: what are the symptoms and disease mechanisms that could be addressed, reversed or repaired by stem cell therapy. Which stem cell sources are appropriate?
ii) Trial run: testing potential therapies in disease models.
iii) Practical, ethical and legal roadblocks
iv) Approaching the destination: phase one clinical trials
These themes will be discussed in reference to case studies, that will illustrate the use of tissue stem cells in cell replacement and regenerative therapies; human ES cell derivatives in drug discovery and toxicology screening; and will discuss the potential of human ES/iPS cells to provide cells for cell replacement therapy. Students will benefit from having taken the Stem Cell Systems for translational medicine module.

Entry Requirements

? This course is not available to visting students.

? Pre-requisites : None other than the programme entry requirements

? Co-requisites : This course is an optional elective within the translational Medicne MSc programme

? Special Arrangements for Entry : All courses will be delivered by distance learning, using WebCT as the delivery platform. Registered students are provided with a user name and password that allows them to access a protected course web site. The website provides a variety of educational material and supports a range of approaches by the students to the material provided. Online delivery will be supported through the provision of core didactic material, multimedia tutorials and discussions with peers and tutors. The website also houses a number of interactive tutorials that allow students to work with information in a self-paced manner to test their understanding of important concepts and principles. There will also be opportunities for group based project work.

Study guides with lecture notes are available, either to be read on screen or printed by the students for private use. Selected readings from relevant journals and textbooks are also provided.

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Translational Medicine, (School of Biomedical Sciences, Schedule T)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : Postgraduate

? Delivery Period : Semester 2 (Blocks 3-4)

? Additional Class Information : The course will be delivered by distance learning, using WebCT as the delivery platform. The total workload (including self-directed study) for the course will be approximately 100 hours.

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

The intended learning outcomes are to provide the students with a clear understanding of the state of the art for translational use of stem cells in drug discovery, tissue regeneration and cell replacement therapies.