Wellcome Trust MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute

Stem cells are the body's master builders, and the Cambridge Stem Cell Institute is being formed to understand how they build and repair our tissues, and what goes wrong when they cause disease. This matters because stem cells sit at the root of many major health problems. Some cancers arise when stem cells behave abnormally. As we age, our stem cell populations decline, contributing to frailty and tissue degeneration. And for disorders where cells are lost—such as Parkinson's disease or heart failure—there is currently no way to replace them. The Institute aims to fill the gap between fundamental stem cell biology and real medical use. If the research succeeds, it could change medicine in several concrete ways. Lab-grown human stem cells could provide realistic models of diseased tissues for drug testing, replacing some animal experiments. Understanding how to control stem cell behaviour might allow doctors to correct faults that lead to cancer. Learning how to maintain stem cell activity could help preserve health in older age. And in the longer term, stem cells might be used to regenerate damaged tissues—repairing a heart after a heart attack, for instance, or restoring cells lost in Parkinson's. The Institute will bring together research scientists, technology specialists, and doctors to work side by side, and will train young researchers from around the world.