Center for Contemporary Sciences Co-Sponsors International Scientific Workshops, To Accelerate Breakthroughs in Human Biomedical Research

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May 18, 2021, 11:07 ET

GAITHERSBURG, Md., May 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Center for Contemporary Sciences (CCS) announces the launch of a new international endeavor to improve human health: "Breakthroughs: Unlocking the Future of Medicine".

Co-sponsored by CCS and the Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT) at Johns Hopkins University, these workshops will involve selected international biomedical researchers with expertise in human-specific research methods. The goal is to establish more effective research protocols that will better translate to successful interventions and cures for a range of diseases.

The first workshop will take place in late May 2021, on Parkinson's Disease (PD). Scientists from the US, Canada and Europe will participate in a virtual event. Forthcoming workshops will focus on Alzheimer's disease, vaccine testing and chemical testing for cancer risk.

Approximately two centuries after PD was discovered, and despite substantial investment in research, the causes and pathology of PD are still unclear, with no effective and sustainable treatments. PD affects 1 million Americans, and up to ten million people at any one time worldwide. 60,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the United States alone.

New human-specific research methods such as human organoids, human body-on-a-chip models, computer-based technologies, and 3D-printing of human tissues, offer great promise in revolutionizing medical research. The workshop participants will create a detailed framework for how these approaches could be used in integrated, predictive strategies to better inform biomedical research and discover effective therapies.

Jarrod Bailey, PhD, Director of Science and Technology, CCS: "For too long, many areas of human disease research have failed to translate to a greater understanding of those diseases, and to provide safe and effective treatments and cures. Our workshops bring together world experts in advanced human-specific research methods, to find a way to break the deadlock, and to finally bring desperately needed treatments to those who need them."

Aysha Akhtar, MD, MPH, President and CEO, CCS: "As a neurologist, I am excited about the great potential these workshops will bring to help the millions of people suffering from currently untreatable neurological diseases."

About the Center for Contemporary Sciences
CCS is pioneering a paradigm shift towards innovative, evidence-based research methods that are based on human biology. Through collaboration, we champion technologies that are better for humans and that replace animal testing.

SOURCE Center for Contemporary Sciences