Canada's Regenerative Medicine Conference Opens Today in Toronto

TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - October 26, 2015) - The Canadian regenerative medicine community is welcoming experts from the United States, Europe and Asia as Canada's regenerative medicine conference gets underway in downtown Toronto at the Sheraton Centre Hotel. The field of regenerative medicine -- harnessing the power of stem cells, biomaterials and molecules to repair, regenerate or replace diseased cells, tissues and organs -- is the focus of the 2015 Till & McCulloch Meetings (TMM), being hosted, for the first time, in Toronto. Over 450 experts, representing government, academic and industry leaders, will come together to share some of the leading advances in research, clinical translation and commercialization within the field.

"Canada is a leader in regenerative medicine research and the Till & McCulloch Meetings is our chance to shine in front of industry, government and invited guest speakers from around the world," says Dr. Michael May, president and CEO of the Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine, one of the hosts. "This conference is a homecoming for the community and an opportunity for collaborations to flourish. This year's meeting will have more of an industry presence, which I think will lend a new, valuable dimension to the event."

An audience favourite at the TMM is the Till & McCulloch Award Lecture -- October 28 at 2 p.m. -- recognizing the most impactful stem cell research publication authored in Canada in the past year. This year's recipient is Dr. Timothy Kieffer, University of British Columbia, for his breakthrough work that is considered to be an important step on the pathway to curing diabetes. The reputable journals Nature Medicine and Science identified Dr. Kieffer's paper as a notable breakthrough of the year in 2014.

"I am delighted that the Stem Cell Network's annual meeting has become such a success," says Dr. Michael Rudnicki, Scientific Director of the Stem Cell Network. "It is a major legacy of the Network that reflects the strength and vibrancy of our community. It is very gratifying to see how it continues to grow and improve."

"For many years, this meeting has been an important place for established Canadian leaders and young, emerging research talent to share ideas and advance the health care innovations of tomorrow," says Dr. Janet Rossant, Executive Director of the Ontario Institute for Regenerative Medicine. "We are proud to support our regenerative medicine community as co-host of this prestigious event."

Here are some of this year's featured speakers (Dominion Ballroom):

Monday, October 26

• Stem Cell States & Fates, with Mitinori Saitou of Kyoto University (Japan) and Margaret Goodell of Baylor College of Medicine (USA);
• Autologous Stem Cell Therapies, with Michele de Luca of University of Moderna and Reggio Emilia (Italy) and Milica Radisic of University of Toronto (Canada);
• Immunotherapy and Stem Cells, with Geoff Symonds of Calimmune (USA) and Michel Sadelain of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (USA);

Tuesday, October 27

• Normal Tissue Stem Cells, with Molly Shoichet of University of Toronto (Canada) and Toshiro Sato of Keio University (Japan);
• Cancer, with Hans Keirstead of Caladrius Biosciences (USA) and Jonathan Kimmelman of McGill University (Canada);
• Allogeneic Stem Cell Therapies, with Ivar Mendez of University of Saskatchewan (Canada) and Linda Hogle of University of Wisconsin-Madison (USA);

Wednesday, October 28

• Looking Forward, with Tessa Holyoake of University of Glasgow (Scotland) and Christopher Scott of Stanford University (USA).

October 27 at 12:40 p.m., CellCAN, a federally funded Centre of Excellence, will host an expert panel on surviving the valley of death to move regenerative medicine discoveries into clinical cell therapy applications. The Stem Cell Network, also a Centre of Excellence, will hold an ethics workshop exploring the ethical tensions posed by access to stem cell interventions outside of clinical trials through off-label and compassionate use. (Simcoe Room and City Hall Room respectively.)

October 28 at 1:45 p.m. is a Special Session with the Canadian Stem Cell Foundation with speakers James Price, CEO, and Alan Bernstein of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. The Till & McCulloch Award lecture will follow.

The Meetings, co-hosted by the Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine (CCRM), the Stem Cell Network and the Ontario Institute for Regenerative Medicine (OIRM) will take place from October 26-28, at the Sheraton Centre Hotel, 123 Queen St. West. The agenda, featuring speakers and special events, is available here.

The conference hosts would like to acknowledge the principal sponsors and partners of TMM2015 and thank them for their support: Gold Sponsors BD Biosciences, Beckman Coulter and STEMCELL Technologies; Silver Sponsors Applikon Biotechnology, GE Healthcare and PDCI Market Access; and, Partners Canadian Stem Cell Foundation, CellCAN and ThéCell.

About the Till & McCulloch Meetings

The Till & McCulloch Meetings are Canada's premier stem cell research event. As the only conference of its kind in Canada, the Till & McCulloch Meetings provides a forum for the exchange of ideas and research among Canada's leading stem cell scientists, clinicians, bioengineers and ethicists, as well as representatives from industry, government, health and NGO sectors from around the world. The Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine, the Stem Cell Network and the Ontario Institute for Regenerative Medicine are pleased to be co-hosting the 2015 Meetings, which will be held in Toronto, Ontario, October 26-28, 2015. www.tillandmcculloch.ca

About the Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine (CCRM)

CCRM, a Canadian not-for-profit organization funded by the Government of Canada's Networks of Centres of Excellence program and six academic partners, supports the development of technologies that accelerate the commercialization of stem cell- and biomaterials-based technologies and therapies. A network of academics, industry and entrepreneurs, CCRM aims to translate scientific discoveries into marketable products for patients. CCRM launched in Toronto's Discovery District on June 14, 2011. CCRM is hosted by the University of Toronto. www.ccrm.ca

About the Stem Cell Network

The Stem Cell Network, established in 2001, brings together more than 100 leading scientists, clinicians, engineers, and ethicists from universities and hospitals across Canada. The Network supports cutting-edge projects that translate research discoveries into new and better treatments for millions of patients in Canada and around the world. Hosted by the University of Ottawa, the Stem Cell Network is one of Canada's Networks of Centres of Excellence funded through Industry Canada and its three granting councils. www.stemcellnetwork.ca

About the Ontario Institute for Regenerative Medicine

Building on more than 50 years of world-leading research in stem cells and regenerative medicine, the Ontario Institute for Regenerative Medicine (OIRM) was launched in 2014 with a vision to revolutionize the treatment of degenerative diseases and make Ontario a global leader in the development of stem cell-based products and therapies. More than 160 researchers at universities and institutions across the province are involved with OIRM, with additional contributions from key clinical, commercial and health charity partners. OIRM is based in Toronto and was realized with investment from Ontario's Ministry of Research and Innovation. www.oirm.ca

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