Cell therapies are the future for elite sport

Released: 20.04.15

Professor Brendon Noble will highlight medical progress and elite sport to renowned scientists on the international stage in Lithuania.

In his keynote: ‘Elite Sport as a Driver of Medical Advance’, Prof Noble will discuss rehabilitation medicine, pharmaceutical and novel therapies.

He will discuss the occurrence of injuries to Olympic athletes, the biology behind maintaining musculoskeletal strength and resilience, and the development of new therapies based upon the use of living cells (cell therapies).

Prof Noble said: “As we drive elite and amateur sport into the future, the development of exercise as a medicine should be highlighted, and will require a concerted global funding effort.”

“In the general population, the burden of musculoskeletal failure through diseases such as osteoporosis, and physical trauma, such as sport and car accidents is the second highest cause of disability worldwide.  On a national scale, the financial and social cost is substantial, but the cost to a training athlete can be the loss of their career in sport.

“When musculoskeletal failure occurs during training and competition, the clinical solutions are often limited and, more importantly, time consuming.  The use of bespoke cell-based therapies represents the clinical solution of the future and we will discuss the likely format and potential of these new medicines in sport."

Prof Noble’s work looks at bone health on a molecular level and the role of the bone resident osteocyte will be highlighted, as will the current understanding of the frequency and magnitude of the physical ‘strains’ that contribute to bone health.

Professor Noble is the University of St Mark & St John’s Executive Dean of Research, Innovation and Postgraduate. His keynote will be delivered at the 8^th Conference of Baltic Society of Sport Sciences, which encompasses the Lithuanian Government’s Department of Physical Education and Sports, their National Olympic Committee, Olympic Academy and the Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences.

Professor Dr Habil Kazys Milašius, Chairman of Committee, said: “The format of the conference hopefully encourages academic discussions and interaction between the participants and renowned scientists who have been invited to deliver keynote speeches.”

The conference, ‘Sport Science for Sports Practice and Teacher’s Training’, takes place on 22 April at the Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences.