For agenda and registration see http://regmedro.med.uni-rostock.de/ or contact Mr Jan Burmeister, Fon +49 381 494 4738, rmr*at*med.uni-rostock.de

Regenerative medicine is the new frontier in medicine, unlocking the secrets of how the body generates itself. Recently, William Haseltine, chairman and CEO of Human Genome Sciences in Rockville, Maryland, told the New York Times, "When we know, in effect, what our cells know, health care will be revolutionised, giving birth to regenerative medicine - ultimately including the prolongation of life by regenerating our aging bodies with younger cells." This is why stem cell research is so important: it is not merely a small step along a continuum of medical technology development, but a fundamental change in the paradigm of medicine. Stem cells, especially adult stem cells are tools that the body uses to enable self-assembly.

But, interest in stem cells derives also from their ability to multiply as undifferentiated cells in culture, to be stored in biobanks, and to form defined cell types. Stem cells thereby become a potential source of other, more specialised cells, which upon proper delivery might replace diseased or damaged cells, when cell loss exceeds the body's own abilities to repair. Stem cells used in cell replacement therapy do accordingly have the potential to cure severe and disabling diseases and conditions like Parkinson's disease, Chorea Huntington, stroke etc.

EU Spring School on regenerative medicine offers the opportunity to meet, listen, discuss and interact with the most prominent scientists in the field of stem cell biology and medicine. The topics will cover the basic cellular biology of stem cells as well as potential applications in regenerative medicine.

Welcome to Berlin and Rostock for the International Stem Cell School 2008. We hope that the meeting will fulfil its goals and your anticipation.