The need for varied research programs is underscored by health statistics. In the U.S. alone, some 26,000 people die each year from chronic liver disease. (Hepatitis C-associated chronic liver disease is the most frequent indication for liver transplantation among adults.) More than 68,000 deaths are recorded annually from diabetes mellitus, while end-stage renal disease - resulting from dia- betes or hypertension - affects more than a quarter million Americans. In addition, more than 60 million people in the U.S. have cardiovascular disease, and more than 1 million heart attacks occur each year with nearly 50 percent resulting in death. Fifteen million Americans have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which claims an additional 110,000 lives each year. And tens of thousands suffer from ocular conditions ranging from retinitis pigmentosa to macular degeneration.

Medical Devices and Artificial Organs
The goal of the Medical Devices and Artificial Organs program is to develop and refine technologies that will maintain, improve or even restore the function of diseased organs. Research in this area focuses on efforts to replace tissue function with entirely synthetic constructs (fully artificial organs) or with constructs made of both synthetic and cellular components (biohybrid organs).



Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials
Within the Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials program, Institute researchers are working to create biodegradable polymeric materials with appropriate mechanical properties that can be modified to incorporate biological activity. Using these biodegradable materials, tissue engineers are combining temporary scaffolds with cellular components to regenerate tissue.




Cellular Therapies
The field of celluar therapeutics is vast, affording an exciting array of potential applications. Within the Cellular Therapies program, researchers are working with a variety of cells, including stem cells and genetically manipulated cells, to repair or replace cellular function.




Clinical Translation
Through its affiliation with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine has access to one of the nation's finest health systems. In fact, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is consistently ranked by U.S. News and World Report as one of the best health systems in the country, with a well-established and well-organized clinical trial infrastructure, and a large, diverse population from which to draw study subjects.