I have found regenerative bioscience both fascinating and innovative in ways that it is able to bring new solutions to problems that have been deemed incurable or impossible. My first introduction to regenerative bioscience was in Dr. Kinder’s RBIO 2010, Introduction to Regenerative Bioscience, and Dr. West’s ADSC 3100, Animal Biotechnology. Both of these courses introduced me to new technologies in the regenerative medicine world from within UGA and outside of it as well. I was amazed at the ways not only stem cells but also reprogramming different cells had the capability to regenerate damaged or necrotic tissue. Some especially interesting cases I had learned about included CAR T-cell therapies, iNSC treatment in improving neurological function following a stroke, and the use of keratinocytes to create a “skin-gun” for second degree burns. Also, at the moment, I am an undergraduate researcher in the Translational Neural Repair and Regeneration Laboratory under Dr. Kinder/West. Through the TNRR, I have learned about their new study involving mesenchymal stem cell-extracellular vesicles, and their effectiveness in promoting neural regeneration following a stroke (such as promoting angiogenesis, reduction of anti-inflammatory cytokines, and transfer mitochondria to assist with microglia metabolism). Although I have learned extensively about regenerative medicine through the RBC at UGA, I have also learned about it, stem cells specifically, at my job in a local nonprofit that assists cancer patients. Many cancer patients have expressed receiving bone-marrow transplants, both allogeneic and autologous, and how the healthy stem cells were life-changing and assisted with bringing them closer to remission. Overall, I have been extremely grateful to receive such a meaningful and enlightening experience from my education of different regenerative techniques and therapies.
