May 28, 2012

Mending Broken Hearts facility gets royal seal of approval

HRH, the Princess Royal has opened an exciting new stem cell research facility in Edinburgh – the Scottish Centre for Regenerative Medicine (SCRM). This amazing building was part-funded by a donation of £1 million raised through our Mending Broken Hearts Appeal.

The SCRM will carry out cutting edge stem cell research for a number of conditions and be home to world-leading experts. The building has purpose-built facilities for developing new regenerative therapies that could be used to treat heart failure and repair hearts damaged by heart attack.

Heart failure affects over 750,000 people in the UK and coronary heart disease is particularly prevalent in Scotland where death rates are higher than in the other UK nations. Last year we launched our Mending Broken Hearts Appeal to boost the science that could lead to new treatments and hopefully a cure for heart failure.

Supported by the Mending Broken Hearts Appeal

Professor Jeremy Pearson, our Associate Medical Director, said: “The Scottish Centre for Regenerative Medicine is the first project to receive funding raised by our Mending Broken Hearts Appeal.

“This unique facility has been specially designed and built to allow stem cell research to go from the laboratory bench to the hospital bedside as soon as possible. It will mean stem cell scientists we support at Edinburgh have the equipment and space to match their ambitions.”

Supporters of our Mending Broken Hearts Appeal helped make this possible

“Scotland has a rich heritage of scientific discovery and Scottish universities have been involved in many of those related to heart disease. Our support for this facility at Edinburgh is an investment in future discoveries that could hold the key to mending broken hearts damaged by heart attack.”

More information about the Mending Broken Hearts Appeal