Cellular Therapy
The medicine of the future, right now
The doctors and researchers at HMR are taking part in a real revolution. Thanks to cellular therapy, they’re discovering ways to harness the natural power of immune cells to repair tissue, detect malignant cells, and cure diseases. They are transforming medicine as we know it into regenerative medicine!
The stem cells they isolate, reprogram, and inject into patients are more effective and have fewer side effects than traditional treatments. Rather than simply controlling the symptoms, these healing cells can permanently cure injuries or diseases that were previously untreatable, representing a ray of hope for patients!
Diseases that are cured with cellular therapy:
- cancers of the blood (leukemia), bones, lymph nodes and, very soon, lungs
- heart failure
- neurological disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease
- eye diseases: macular degeneration, glaucoma, corneal abnormalities
- autoimmune diseases, such as type 1 diabetes
- musculoskeletal diseases, such as sarcomas
Other diseases that could be cured with cellular therapy in the future:
- breast cancer, melanoma, kidney cancer, testicular cancer, and other types of cancer
- heart attack
- neurological disorders: Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, spinal cord injuries
- autoimmune diseases: scleroderma, lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, kidney disease, etc.
- musculoskeletal disorders: cartilage injuries, osteoarthritis, muscular dystrophy
Regenerative medicine allows healthcare professionals to treat patients holistically, improving their quality of life by limiting their need for medication. It lowers the costs associated with the disease, contributing to the long-term survival of our healthcare system.
HMR is the Canadian leader in regenerative medicine and the only hospital with the infrastructure to produce medicinal cells for clinical applications.
Our achievements in the field
Medical breakthroughs within reach of our researchers thanks to ongoing support
The HMR Foundation supports the HMR Research Centre to foster daily medical breakthroughs at the Centre, whose work is renowned throughout Québec and around the world. In 2017, the financial […]
Centre for Commercialization of Cancer Immunotherapy (C3i)
In 2016, one more step was taken in the fight against cancer. Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada and the Networks of Centres of Excellence of Canada granted $15M to […]
Opening of the Centre of Excellence for Cellular Therapy (CECT)
Built at a cost of $20.3 million, the CECT is based on world-class infrastructures, which will enable HMR to position itself as an international leader in cellular therapy. Also called […]
The power of stem cells
Cellular therapy and regenerative medicine hinge on the use of pluripotent stem cells, which are capable of producing different types of specialized cells (which have the ability to repair damaged or diseased tissue) through a process called differentiation.
Stem cells can give rise to various types of cells: red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, as well as eye, heart muscle, and nerve cells, among others. At Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont, researchers culture the cells in the laboratory and, along with doctors, develop technologies to turn these cells into a source of healing for patients.
Listen to Dr. Denis Claude Roy, Research Director, CIUSSS de l'Est-de-l'Ile-de-Montréal,
and Director, Centre of Excellence for Cellular Therapy
“We’ve known for a long time that stem cells exist, that they protect us against infections, and repair our tissue, heart, eyes, and joints, but the technology wasn’t advanced enough to allow us to identify and isolate them. But, at HMR, we’ve developed this expertise and we’re now getting the best results in the world. We have the ability to isolate stem cells from the immune system, whose role is to destroy infected cells, and inject them into a patient with cancer; we can program other stem cells to eliminate the cells that cause transplants to be rejected, or inject them directly into the heart of a patient who’s had a heart attack in order to repair the weakest parts of the muscle. The possibilities are amazing, and we need to give ourselves every opportunity possible to continue to explore them!”