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SUMMARY:New Breath: regenerative medicine of the airways - Prof. M. Bircha
 ll\, Professor of Laryngology and Consultant Laryngologist at The Royal Na
 tional Throat\, Nose and Ear Hospital and Reader in Head and Neck Surgery 
 at the University of Bristol
DTSTART:20100514T141500Z
DTEND:20100514T151500Z
UID:TALK24739@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Erika Eiser
DESCRIPTION:Airway and breathing are the two most immediate functions of m
 ammalian life. The respiratory tract represents the interface between the 
 body and the atmosphere around us\, and thus represents a first line of de
 fense against inhaled challenges such as potential allergens\, pollutants 
 and cigarette smoke. Sequentially\, it is responsible for filtering\, humi
 difying air (nose)\,speech and  protecting the respiratory tract from inha
 lation of ingested materials and saliva (larynx)\, conducting air and mucu
 s (tracheobronchial tree)\, and gas exchange (alveoli). Disorders affectin
 g these functions can have devastating effects on quality and duration of 
 life\, and our ability to manage some of the most serious of these with co
 nventional treatments is severely limited.\n\n \n\nRegenerative medicine h
 as considerable potential to bridge this gap between what present therapy 
 can achieve and the restoration of normal existence. The most striking exa
 mple of this was the restoration of normal function (and life) to a 31-yea
 r-old mother whose tracheobroinchial tree had been ravaged by tuberculosis
 . In 2008\, a stem-cell based\, tissue-engineered airway implant was prepa
 red and transplanted with immediate normalisation of lung function. We bui
 lt on this experience by replacing the whole trachea of an 11 year old boy
  in 2010. However\, there is a long way to go before this success may be t
 ranslated into a raft of treatments for persons with severe disease at all
  levels of the respiratory tract. We review progress at each of these leve
 ls.\n\n\n
LOCATION:Pippard Lecture Theatre\, Cavendish Laboratory
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