Research
The Gillies McIndoe Research Institute’s work will continue to benefit patients in New Zealand and gain further international significance.
The Gillies McIndoe Research Institute’s current areas of research include vascular birthmarks, including infantile haemangioma (strawberry birthmarks), fibrotic conditions, cancer, and regenerative medicine, based on the role of stem cells in disease and health.
The molecular basis of diseases
Our talented researchers and PhD students are looking to identify the fundamental causes of disfiguring conditions and life-threatening diseases at a cellular and molecular level. This will help the team gain a greater understanding of associated diseases, particularly the causes of birthmarks, fibrotic conditions and cancer.
In turn, this may lead to the development of novel treatments that avoid or significantly reduce the need for invasive surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, which will ultimately lead to better health outcomes.
Manipulation of angiogenesis
Angiogenesis is the phenomenon of new blood vessel formation that promotes wound healing and tissue regeneration. Angiogenesis also supports the formation of birthmarks, fibrotic conditions and the growth of cancer.
The Gillies McIndoe Research Institute team is endeavouring to understand how angiogenesis can be manipulated, work that could result in more effective treatments for birthmarks and new options to control cancer.
Regenerative medicine
Regenerative medicine will enable surgeons and scientists to grow new tissues within patients, using their own stem cells to replace what is missing as a result of birth anomalies, cancer treatment and trauma, including burns.
Supporting the body to heal itself through the creation of new healthy tissue avoids the need to harvest healthy tissue from elsewhere for reconstruction.
Regenerative medicine is a rapidly evolving field with the ability to radically improve medical care.
Paradigm Shift
“Our goal is treatment of cancer without surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy – to bypass everything we have done for the last 100 years.”
The Gillies McIndoe Research Institute’s ground-breaking research in strawberry birthmarks has potentially enormous implications for the treatment of other tumours, including cancer.
“Drug manufacturers and cancer research must take note of this new major paradigm shift [resulting from the work of the Gillies McIndoe Research Institute].”
Support
Gillies McIndoe Research Institute is a Registered Charity (CC43660) relying mainly on private philanthropy, including donations, bequests, corporate championships, grants and scholarships. You can donate now or contact us to learn how you can support us and enable our research to continue.