Human Cellular Therapy Laboratories

Cell therapy, which uses specific types of stem cells to repair damaged tissues, is one approach in the regenerative medicine toolkit. The Center for Regenerative Biotherapeutics works closely with the Human Cellular Therapy Laboratories to develop and produce safe cellular products for research and patient care purposes.

With locations at Mayo Clinic's campuses in Minnesota, Florida and Arizona, the Human Cellular Therapy Laboratories include scientists, regulatory specialists and laboratory technologists with expertise in cell biology, protocol development, clinical trial monitoring and the regulatory environment.

The Human Cellular Therapy Laboratories are compliant with current good manufacturing practice (CGMP) regulations as they apply to cell manufacturing.

Regenerative medicine applications

Development of regenerative cellular therapies is underway in the Human Cellular Therapy Laboratories for more than a dozen conditions. For each disease, the cellular product is being made from the patient, for the patient — the patient's own cells are being expanded or activated to treat his or her specific disease.

In nearly all cases, these regenerative therapies are intended for people for whom there are no other treatment options available.

Cellular therapies are in development for:

  • Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease)
  • Anal fistulas
  • Brain cancer
  • Breast cancer
  • Critical limb ischemia
  • Degenerative disk disease
  • Diabetes
  • Heart attack, also called acute myocardial infarction
  • Hypoplastic left heart syndrome
  • Intracranial saccular aneurysms
  • Liver repair and tolerance induction
  • Lymphoma
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Ovarian cancer
  • Renal stenosis
  • Stage IV glioblastoma
  • Stroke

In addition to supporting the Center for Regenerative Biotherapeutics, the Human Cellular Therapy Laboratories provide cellular products for bone marrow transplants, the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Division of Transfusion Medicine and individual Mayo Clinic investigators.