Senior Researchers from Cardiff University and the University of Wales College of Medicine have joined forces to form an international centre in tissue engineering, called the Cardiff Institute of Tissue Engineering and Repair (CITER).

This pioneering new institute, which was launched in March 2003 by the First Minister of the Welsh Assembly Government, the Rt Hon Rhodri Morgan AM, will concentrate on promoting research, education and clinical practice in the field of tissue engineering and repair. In turn, this will lead to the development of technological advances that will help with the diagnosis and treatment of a widening number of clinical conditions associated with tissue regeneration – such as ocular repair, osteoarthritis, sports injuries, chronic wounds and kidney disease.

While there are several tissue repair research centres in the UK, CITER is by far the biggest, boasting excellence in both basic science and clinical research. The Institute possesses world-class basic science expertise in the field of stem cells, polymer therapeutics, matrix biology, diagnostics and medical engineering. On the clinical side, CITER’s strengths exist in the fields of musculoskeletal injury, dermal wounds, progression of kidney disease/ peritoneal host defence and eye disease. This high level of expertise within CITER provides a vibrant research culture in which to foster interdisciplinary research into tissue engineering and repair.

CITER is also unique in the way that it brings basic research scientists together with practising clinicians. This close interaction between clinical and basic scientists allows continuity of research from a laboratory setting through models of disease to the clinical application of research findings - ultimately leading to improved healthcare provision and enhanced quality of life for patients. This is a particular feature in the disciplines of renal disease and dermal wound healing. The dermal wound healing clinic in Cardiff is the largest of its kind worldwide, where some 2500 patients are seen annually. In addition, some 3500 acute facial wounds are seen in the Dental clinics annually.

In conjunction with the technological developments and basic research in the area of tissue engineering and repair, CITER will build on existing taught courses at Cardiff (e.g., MSc in Wound Healing and Tissue Repair, MSc in Clinical Engineering, MSc in Orthopaedic Engineering, and MSc in Implantology) and facilitate multi-disciplinary research and education through the development of new courses. CITER will also play a significant role in lifelong learning and training.

Currently, the Institute has a total research income of £17 million from Government, Research Councils, Charities and Industries and involves over sixty Postdoctoral Research Fellows and eighty PhD students. Examples of ongoing tissue engineering projects include: the development of wound diagnostics, functional studies of bacterial biofilms and healing of chronic wounds, the development of synthetic replacement for use in cartilage repair, and the investigation of intercellular trafficking of polymeric viral mimetics designed for intracytoplasmic delivery of gene and oligonucleotide therapeutics.

For further information contact:

Professor Keith Harding
Cardiff Institute of Tissue Engineering and Repair
University of Wales College of Medicine
Cardiff Medicentre, Heath Park, Cardiff, CF14 4UJ
Tel: + 44 (0)2920 682 097, Fax: + 44 (0)2920 682 097
E-mail: hardingkg@whru.co.uk
or: grovesg@cf.ac.uk
Website: www.citer.org