WebinarWhat can stem cells and gene therapy realistically contribute to orthopaedic care, and where does the evidence still fall short? This RCSEd webinar examines the science, current clinical applications and future potential of cell-based and genetic treatments for musculoskeletal injuries and degenerative disorders.
The session will introduce the biological principles behind stem cell therapies and gene-based approaches to tissue repair. Participants will learn how different cell sources and gene-delivery strategies work, how they may influence regeneration, and what advantages and limitations they present when applied to bone, cartilage and other musculoskeletal tissues. The programme connects fundamental biology with the practical questions that determine whether an experimental treatment can progress towards safe and reproducible clinical use.
Clinical evidence will be considered across orthopaedic trauma, bone regeneration, cartilage repair and degenerative musculoskeletal disease. Rather than presenting regenerative therapies as established solutions, the webinar will critically examine reported outcomes, appropriate indications and the remaining uncertainties. This provides useful context for orthopaedic surgeons, researchers and industry professionals assessing the growing number of biological treatments promoted for musculoskeletal repair.
The programme will also address the challenges that can prevent promising laboratory findings from becoming reliable treatments. Topics include treatment safety, regulation, scalability, product standardisation and the design of meaningful clinical trials. These translational barriers are particularly important for cell and gene therapies, where differences in cell preparation, manufacturing, delivery and patient selection can strongly affect both research findings and clinical outcomes.
The webinar is presented by Professor Martin J. Stoddart, Vice-Director of the AO Research Institute Davos and Programme Leader for Regenerative Orthopaedics, and Dr Elena Della Bella, Senior Scientist and Deputy Focus Area Leader in Progenitor Cell Biology at the AO Research Institute Davos. Their work covers mesenchymal stem cells, progenitor-cell biology, mechanoregulation, bone regeneration and the role of non-coding RNA in musculoskeletal repair.
This webinar will be relevant to orthopaedic surgeons, trauma specialists, researchers, biomedical scientists and medical-technology professionals interested in regenerative orthopaedics, bone and cartilage repair, mesenchymal stem cells, gene therapy and the translation of emerging biological treatments into clinical practice.
The live session provides one hour of CPD. Participants must attend the full webinar and complete the feedback survey to receive the CPD hour. RCSEd plans to make a recording available on the event page after the live broadcast.