Published Sunday, 17 June, 2007 at 10:00 AM
Minister for State Development, Employment and Industrial Relations
The Honourable John Mickel
Cairns stem cell conference puts international spotlight on Queensland
A major scientific conference underway in Cairns from today will put Queensland in the global stem cell research spotlight.
Queensland Minister for State Development John Mickel said Cairns was the first city outside North America to host the annual conference of the International Society for Stem Cell Research.
Formed in 2002 to foster the exchange of information on stem cell research, the International Society for Stem Cell Research is an independent, non-profit organisation.
Its conference from 17-20 June at the Cairns Convention Centre is expected to draw over 1600 international delegates from 46 countries, including the USA, Japan, Chile, Estonia, Belgium, Ireland, France, South Korea and Barbados.
“This is quite a coup for Queensland and underlines the enormous interest the international scientific community has in the quality of stem cell research being undertaken in the Smart State,” Mr Mickel said.
He said Queensland researchers were working on a range of therapies using stem cell technology, including spinal regeneration as well as cures and treatments for dementia, acquired brain injury, and cystic fibrosis.
For example, the National Centre for Adult Stem Cell Research, based at Griffith University and headed by 2003 Queenslander of the Year Professor Alan Mackay-Sim, focuses on diseases of the brain and spine, including Parkinson’s, schizophrenia and motor neuron disease.
In a world breakthrough in 2005, Professor Mackay-Sim’s team showed that stem cells from the olfactory mucosa – the organ of smell in the nose – could be grown in the laboratory into different types of cells, including heart, liver, muscle, kidney and blood cells.
The centre will receive $22 million in Federal Government funds over four years and its work will complement the existing Australian Stem Cell Centre.
“The University of Queensland’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience recently received $1 million under the Queensland Government’s Smart State Innovation Projects Fund for its vital research into the treatment of renal disease using adult stem cells,” Mr Mickel said.
‘The aim of the research is to enable the in-situ repair of damaged kidneys. While not likely to replace kidney transplants, the results would be superior to dialysis in containing kidney breakdown.”
He said the incidence of renal disease in Australia was increasing at 8 percent a year and this research had the potential to develop a more viable remedy to kidney disease than would be possible through existing treatments.
“In another example of the quality of stem cell research in the Smart State, biotech company Tissue Therapies Ltd, based at QUT’s Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, also recently received $225,040 under the Innovation Projects Fund to simplify development of stem cell therapies,” Mr Mickel said.
Tissue Therapies’ project centres on a product which is a synthetic alternative to animal and human materials in the manufacture of stem cell products.
“This is a world-first development and once on the market will place global focus squarely on Queensland experts among the international stem cell community,” Mr Mickel said.
Mr Mickel said Queensland had great success in forging international research and commercialisation alliances, but recognised the importance of continuing to build new collaborations and the Cairns conference was the perfect opportunity to do that.
Media contact: Chris Brown 3224 7349 or Elouise Campion 3224 6784.
17 June 2007
Queensland Minister for State Development John Mickel said Cairns was the first city outside North America to host the annual conference of the International Society for Stem Cell Research.
Formed in 2002 to foster the exchange of information on stem cell research, the International Society for Stem Cell Research is an independent, non-profit organisation.
Its conference from 17-20 June at the Cairns Convention Centre is expected to draw over 1600 international delegates from 46 countries, including the USA, Japan, Chile, Estonia, Belgium, Ireland, France, South Korea and Barbados.
“This is quite a coup for Queensland and underlines the enormous interest the international scientific community has in the quality of stem cell research being undertaken in the Smart State,” Mr Mickel said.
He said Queensland researchers were working on a range of therapies using stem cell technology, including spinal regeneration as well as cures and treatments for dementia, acquired brain injury, and cystic fibrosis.
For example, the National Centre for Adult Stem Cell Research, based at Griffith University and headed by 2003 Queenslander of the Year Professor Alan Mackay-Sim, focuses on diseases of the brain and spine, including Parkinson’s, schizophrenia and motor neuron disease.
In a world breakthrough in 2005, Professor Mackay-Sim’s team showed that stem cells from the olfactory mucosa – the organ of smell in the nose – could be grown in the laboratory into different types of cells, including heart, liver, muscle, kidney and blood cells.
The centre will receive $22 million in Federal Government funds over four years and its work will complement the existing Australian Stem Cell Centre.
“The University of Queensland’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience recently received $1 million under the Queensland Government’s Smart State Innovation Projects Fund for its vital research into the treatment of renal disease using adult stem cells,” Mr Mickel said.
‘The aim of the research is to enable the in-situ repair of damaged kidneys. While not likely to replace kidney transplants, the results would be superior to dialysis in containing kidney breakdown.”
He said the incidence of renal disease in Australia was increasing at 8 percent a year and this research had the potential to develop a more viable remedy to kidney disease than would be possible through existing treatments.
“In another example of the quality of stem cell research in the Smart State, biotech company Tissue Therapies Ltd, based at QUT’s Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, also recently received $225,040 under the Innovation Projects Fund to simplify development of stem cell therapies,” Mr Mickel said.
Tissue Therapies’ project centres on a product which is a synthetic alternative to animal and human materials in the manufacture of stem cell products.
“This is a world-first development and once on the market will place global focus squarely on Queensland experts among the international stem cell community,” Mr Mickel said.
Mr Mickel said Queensland had great success in forging international research and commercialisation alliances, but recognised the importance of continuing to build new collaborations and the Cairns conference was the perfect opportunity to do that.
Media contact: Chris Brown 3224 7349 or Elouise Campion 3224 6784.
17 June 2007