UK: £10M cell therapy competition

Funding opportunity

The UK Technology Strategy Board (TSB) has £10 million to support research projects that involve the development of living cell processes and cell therapies for improved healing.

This includes living cell bioprocessing, smart dressings, veterinary, surgical and dental applications and wound repair. Projects in engineered systems for scale-up of tissues and cells; functional integration and immunocompatibility; new dressings with reactive elements; and control of cellular movement will be particularly welcome.

The board will provide partial investment in winning projects that address one or more of these areas, and which involve businesses working collaboratively with other businesses and/or with research organisations and academic institutions.

The projects, which can last for 2 to 3 years, can range from small, highly focussed basic research projects, aimed at establishing technical feasibility, through to applied research and experimental development projects aimed at producing technology demonstrators.  

The cell therapy competition is part of the TSB’s autumn 2007 call for proposals in a number of innovation and technology areas.  

TSB’s Chief Executive Iain Gray said, “Regenerative medicine is at the forefront of 21st century healthcare and will revolutionise healthcare treatment.  The worldwide market is conservatively estimated to reach $500 billion by 2010.  The UK has a significant presence in this field.  However, to realise the potential for regenerative medicine, the successful development and application of bioprocessing technologies will be required in order to make manufactured products available at a reasonable cost.”