Wake Forest leading new $75M military medicine effort

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Dr. Anthony Atala will coordinate efforts at Wake Forest University and more than 30 academic and industry partners in the military's efforts to apply regenerative medicine techniques to battlefield injuries.

The Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine will take the lead in the second phase of the military's efforts to apply regenerative medicine techniques to battlefield injuries.

That effort, known as the Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine II, or AFIRM II, will invest $75 million over five years developing therapies for severely traumatized limbs, facial reconstruction, skin regeneration and repairing damage to genital and urinary organs, among other priorities. Lead researcher Dr. Anthony Atala will coordinate efforts at Wake Forest and more than 30 academic and industry partners.

Wake Forest was a co-lead along with the University of Pittsburgh of the first phase of AFIRM, which started in 2008 and studied regenerative therapies in the areas of face transplants, scar reduction, burn treatment and other areas. Atala said the science advanced much further than expected when AFIRM launched.

?The AFIRM-I teams were charged with conducting at least one clinical study of a new treatment for wounded warriors,? Atala said. ?Instead, due to their expertise, collaborative spirit and dedication to the mission, there were more than 10 clinical studies of potential new therapies. We are honored to have the opportunity to continue this important work to benefit those who serve our country.?

Atala noted that the therapies developed primarily for use in helping wounded warriors recover will also benefit civilian patients over time.

Maj. Gen. Joseph Caravelho Jr. of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command said the ultimate goal is to make it as if severe injuries never happened.

"The science of regenerative medicine is one of the ways we fulfill our promise to service members who put themselves in harm's way, that we will work our hardest and do our very best to take care of them," he said.

Matt Evans covers technology, entrepreneurship, higher education and financial services. Contact him at (336) 370-2916.

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