2016 Professor Rod Dunbar FRSNZ
Rod Dunbar. Photo/Simon Young
New therapies from human cells
The adult body contains hundreds of distinct cell types, and purifying and growing different cell types in the laboratory has enabled insights into diseases, and the discovery of countless new drugs. Human cells themselves are increasingly valued as therapeutic products. Studies of purified human cells – from skin cells to T cells that can recognise and kill cancer cells – are suggesting new strategies for repairing damaged tissue and for treating cancer.