Medical Research Council (UK)

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The Medical Research Council (MRC) is a government-funded national organisation that promotes and supports research and postgraduate training in all areas of biomedical science. Its aims are to maintain and improve human health, and to contribute to national wealth and quality of life. For 90 years, MRC researchers have been the driving force behind a stream of remarkable advances that have transformed medicine and are benefiting people all over the world. Today, research at MRC centres, universities and hospitals throughout the UK extends from the laboratory to the bedside and beyond, and is building on past achievements to tackle the major health challenges of the 21st century.

MRC research on stem cells

The MRC is funding research aimed at making stem cell therapy a reality. Our scientists are investigating all aspects of stem cell biology in both embryonic and adult stem cells. Work on the basics of stem cells’ identity, propagation, and how they give rise to specialised cell types, will help scientists learn how to control stem cell self-renewal and differentiation in order to achieve safe, efficient, large-scale production of defined cell types. They must also develop ways of delivering stem cells and monitoring their migration within tissues and find out how to combat immune rejection. This research is still in its infancy and faces enormous challenges. The first clinical applications are not expected for five to ten years.

The MRC’s involvement in stem cell research dates back to the 1970s and 1980s, when it funded pioneering work by Professor Martin Evans at the University of Cambridge. Professor Evans was among the first to develop ways to culture ES cells derived from the mouse blastocyst, the ball of cells formed after fertilisation. Since then, the UK, by developing the necessary legislative framework, has created an ideal environment to nurture research into human stem cell therapy and to become an international leader in this rapidly advancing field of science. The MRC is working to make the most of this opportunity. It has launched a national stem cell initiative, and is supporting some of the world’s top stem cell researchers.

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