From the U.S. Government Accountability Office, www.gao.gov

Transcript for: Federal Funding of Regenerative Medicine Research

Description: Federal agencies are researching how a body's own systems
can be used to heal diseases and injuries.

Related GAO Work: GAO-15-553: Regenerative Medicine: Federal Investment,
Information Sharing, and Challenges in an Evolving Field

Released: July 2015


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The following video contains some graphic content
that some viewers may find disturbing

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The following video contains some graphic content that some viewers may
find disturbing.

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Video and images courtesy of Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative
Medicine

[ Narrator ]
Regenerative medicine aims to develop products and therapies to repair
or replace tissue or organ function lost due to age, disease, damage, or
congenital defects.

It uses the body's own systems to recreate cells and rebuild tissues and
organs. This can occur inside or outside of the body.

In fiscal years 2012 through 2014, seven federal agencies funded
regenerative medicine research to provide general scientific knowledge,
develop practical applications, or develop regulatory standards. In that
time, federal agencies spent approximately $2.89 billion on regenerative
medicine research.

This machine is printing skin onto a mannequin's burned forearm. This
example is one practical application of DOD's research on healing
military personnel with debilitating, disfiguring, and disabling
injuries.

This and other federal efforts could help advance the field of
regenerative medicine eventually making treatments available to heal a
broad range of diseases and injuries.

To learn more about U.S. investment in regenerative medicine, see
GAO-15-553, which you can find on our website gao.gov.

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