Area of investment and support

UK Regenerative Medicine Platform

The UK Regenerative Medicine Platform (UKRMP) was a £42 million national initiative established in 2013 by BBSRC, EPSRC and MRC to bring together leading researchers from across the UK and address the key translational challenges in regenerative medicine.

• Partners involved: Medical Research Council (MRC), Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)

The scope and what we're doing

The UK Regenerative Medicine Platform (UKRMP) was a £42 million cross-council initiative, supported by BBSRC, EPSRC and MRC from 2013 to 2024. Its overall aim was to address the key translational challenges in regenerative medicine and to bring innovative regenerative medicine therapies to the clinic.

UKRMP had three aims:

• to establish several interdisciplinary research hubs with the critical mass and expertise to address the key knowledge gaps in the translation of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine towards application
• to provide novel tools, platform technologies and engineering solutions needed for therapeutic development
• to create a world-leading and fully connected national programme to pull through excellent discovery science in support of the commercial development and clinical delivery of regenerative medicine products

UKRMP was delivered in two phases (UKRMP1 and UKRMP2).

Past projects, outcomes and impact

UKRMP first phase

The first phase of funding (£25 million) between 2013 and 2018 drew together the major players in UK regenerative medicine and supported five interdisciplinary and complementary research hubs, as well as five disease-focused projects.

The five UKRMP1 hubs were:

• cell behaviour, differentiation and manufacturing hub (director: Peter Andrews, The University of Sheffield)
• engineering and exploiting the stem cell niche hub (director: Stuart Forbes, The University of Edinburgh)
• safety and efficacy, focusing on imaging technologies hub (director: Kevin Park, University of Liverpool)
• acellular approaches for therapeutic delivery hub (director: Kevin Shakesheff, University of Nottingham)
• immunomodulation hub (director: Fiona Watt, King’s College London)

Outcomes of UKRMP1 are captured in the 2018 UKRMP annual report.

UKRMP second phase

The second phase (funding £17 million) between 2018 and 2024 represented an evolved and consolidated structure of three interdisciplinary research hubs with broad and distinctive focus areas that built on the strengths of the previous funding period.

In addition, several cross-cutting immunology and strategic projects were supported to add capability and foster further collaboration within UKRMP2.

The three UKRMP2 hubs were:

• pluripotent stem cells and engineered cells hub (director: Roger Barker, University of Cambridge)
• engineered cell environment hub (director: Stuart Forbes, The University of Edinburgh)
• smart materials hub (director: Molly Stevens, Imperial College London)

Completion and end report

UKRI funding for UKRMP ended in 2024. The 2024 UKRMP end report captures:

• outcomes of the three UKRMP2 hubs and associated cross-cutting immunology and strategic projects
• a detailed list of resources made available to the community by the UKRMP2 hubs
• comprehensive publication and patent lists of the UKRMP2 hubs

The UK regenerative medicine research field has matured significantly since the first UKRMP investment in 2013. Our research boards and the Developmental Pathway Funding Scheme (translational) panel are well placed to manage further funding requests in this area.

Who to contact

Ask a question about this area of investment

Contact the MRC Molecular and Cellular Medicine Board if you have a question about UKRMP.

Email: mcmb@mrc.ukri.org

Include ‘UKRMP’ in the subject line.

Last updated: 14 November 2024