2nd International Conference on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine
Following the huge success of the first International Conference on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine in South Africa, the Vaal University of Technology's Faculty of Applied and Computer Sciences is proud to announce its involvement in co-hosting the 2nd International Conference on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (ICTERM), in July. Professor Keolebogile Motaung of the Department of Biomedical Sciences in the Faculty of Science at Tshwane University of Technology and Professor Antonios Mikos of Rice University, Houston, Texas, will be taking part.
Themed "The future of regenerative medicine in Africa," the Conference, which is scheduled to take place from 26 - 30 July in Vanderbijlpark, south of Johannesburg, will serve as a platform to launch the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS) in Africa. Currently there is TERMIS- Europe, TERMIS-Asia and TERMIS-USA. It will be a great occasion to launch TERMIS-Africa.
What is tissue engineering?: Tissue engineering is the science of design and manufacturing of new tissues for the functional restoration of impaired organs and replacement of lost parts due to cancer, disease, and trauma. In the simplest term, it means the creation of human spare parts.
Why do we have to create human spare parts through Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (TERM)? Worldwide many chronic diseases can only be treated or cured by organ transplantation. However, there is a shortage of donor organs; the medical field is in desperate need of a renewable source of cells and tissue for transplantation therapy. Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine have the potential to resolve the transplantation crisis caused by a shortage of organs and tissues donors.
Host Institutions: Tshwane University of Technology, Vaal University of Technology and Rice University, Houston, Texas. For more information please visit: www.vut.ac.za/goto/icte
Notes: for more information:
Purposeof the conference: The main purpose of this conference is to bring together distinguished scientists and clinicians from all over the world to discuss thematic areas of regenerative medicine. The conference will foster stronger interactions between and among leading research experts, young aspiring scientists and postgraduate students from South African Universities, as well as biotechnology companies and national laboratories. The conference will showcase VUT and the Vaal region to the world and will serve as a platform for local researchers and students to initiate collaborative relationships within Africa and globally. It is hoped that ICTERM 2017 will make a meaningful contribution to the existing knowledge base in this field and motivate talented young people to pursue the field of tissue engineering. The talks will cover basic studies through translational efforts and clinical trials and will address novel topics. During the five-day conference, well-known experts in the field will discuss recent advances, challenges and breakthroughs in the field of tissue engineering. The conference will feature keynote addresses, a number of plenary sessions, invited talks and contributed lectures focusing on specific views of tissue engineering. Furthermore, there will be several poster sessions, and the two best poster presentations will be selected for an award.
Why the launch of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS) in Africa.
The Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society's (TERMIS's) main mission or goal is to bring together international, communities or individuals engaged or interested in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. It is also meant to promote education, research and significant commitment to bringing individuals and communities closer to key TERM professionals to support mutual understanding of the field by contributing to the ultimate care of patients.
The development of TERM is promoted worldwide academically and industrially by different associations and partnerships. Africa due to unknown reasons is the only continent with their sciences and research being neglected and completely put in the dark. Currently, there is TERMIS- Europe, TERMIS-Asia and TERMIS-USA only Africa is missing. Many African countries are at war and are regularly threatened with economic hardships. War victims are often faced with severe physical disability due to bone fracture and tissue loss. Africa is yet to get therapeutic assurance for the replacement of wounded and ruptured tissues due to war, accidents and other environmental disasters. Many initiatives with the objective of using tissue engineering methods for the treatment of injuries due to war have been established in the United States and Europe. The established institutions include; the Orthopaedic Extremity Trauma Research Program (OETRP), the Armed Forces Institute for Regenerative Medicine (AFIRM), National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases just to mention but a few. There is an imperative need for such establishments in the African continent so as to participate fully in the investigation of basic and applied questions of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.