REGENERATIVE MEDICINE
CUTTING-EDGE SCIENCE TURNS BACK THE CLOCK.
Unlocking nature's own ability to heal.
Regenerative medicine is an exciting field of intense research and world-changing possibilities. In short, regenerative medicine seeks to repurpose the body’s innate mechanisms for healing and self-renewal to treat chronic disease and repair damaged, aging, or failing parts of the body.
Nature has already provided the foundation: people and animals grow from small collections of undifferentiated cells into incredibly complex organisms, with systems to heal wounds, attack pathogens, and carry on other dynamic processes of life.
Science now seeks to build upon that foundation.
HISTORY
The term “regenerative medicine” was coined in the 1990s to describe an emerging field that included contributions from stem cell biology, advanced biomechanical prosthetics, nanotechnology, biochemistry, tissue engineering, and cell transplantation.
The ideas behind regenerative medicine are far older, however. Ancient Greeks pondered the regenerative possibilities of the human body, including the purpose of bone marrow. In the 1930s, Swiss doctor Paul Niehans experimented with injecting young animal cells into aging patients to “rejuvenate” them (to unknown success). Bone marrow transplants to fight cancer began in the 1950s.
STEM CELLS IN MEDICINE
Stem cell research began in the 1960s with blood-cell-forming somatic stem cells in mice. During the 1980s, research advanced using human pluripotent stem cells. Since then, research has expanded widely, spanning many different types of stem cell, in many different species of animal, and in varied clinical applications.
Stem cells are exciting in regenerative medicine because they can be useful in many different contexts:
- to research basic cellular functions of the body.
- to test how certain drugs might interact with the body.
- to provide pathways to otherwise un-discoverable drugs.
- to research potential treatments for cancer.
- and as a source of regenerative cells to repair (and sometimes replace) damaged tissues and organs.
further reading
MADISON, WISCONSIN
Madison, WI, became an epicenter for stem cell research through the work of Dr. James Thomson at the University of Wisconsin. In 1995, he and his team successfully cultured embryonic stem cells from non-human primates for the first time. In 1998, they isolated the first human embryonic stem cells. Then, in 2007, at the same time as scientists in Japan, Dr. Thomson’s lab published its work on inducing pluripotent cells from adult skin cells – paving the way for adult stem cells to take the lead in regenerative medicine research.
The Madison area continues as a hotbed of stem cell activity. The university founded the Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Center in 2007 as an interdisciplinary research hub. In addition, around a dozen private companies in the Madison area focus on stem cell research and regenerative medicine, including JangoBio – JangoPet’s parent company.
JangoPet's story begins here.
In 2020, JangoBio founded JangoPet to bring its scientific expertise to the world of veterinary medicine. JangoPet’s current focus is on animal osteoarthritis, but research continues along other regenerative medical pathways. Click About Us below to learn more about who JangoPet is and why we do what we do. You can also use the links below to explore our stem cell therapies or contact us now.
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