Every one of us completely regenerates our own skin every 7 days. A cut heals itself and disappears in a week or two. Every single cell in our skeleton is replaced every 7 years.

The future of medicine lies in understanding how the body creates itself out of a single cell and the mechanisms by which it renews itself throughout life.

When we achieve this goal, we will be able to replace damaged tissues and help the body regenerate itself, potentially curing or easing the suffering of those afflicted by disorders like heart disease, Alzheimers, Parkinsons, diabetes, spinal cord injury and cancer.

Research at the institute leverages Stanfords many strengths in a way that promotes that goal. The institute brings together experts from a wide range of scientific and medical fields to create a fertile, multidisciplinary research environment.

There are four major research areas of emphasis at the institute:

Theres no way to know, beforehand, which particular avenue of stem cell research will most expediently yield a successful treatment or cure. Therefore, we need to vigorously pursue a broad number of promising leads concurrently.

--Philip A. Pizzo, MD Carl and Elizabeth Naumann Professor Dean, Stanford University School of Medicine

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Research - Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine ...