A surgeon and researcher, Dr. Mark J. Holterman pursued original medical research funded through the Illinois Regenerative Medicine Institute. When not performing research, Dr. Mark J. Holterman teaches up-and-coming MDs as professor of surgery and pediatrics with the University of Illinois at Peoria College of Medicine.
Regenerative medicine seeks to address the underlying causes of illnesses by actually repairing damaged organs or replacing those that cannot be salvaged. Physicians who practice regenerative medicine may, for instance, use techniques to encourage slow-healing organs like the heart to heal faster or more effectively. They may also replace entire organs through transplantation procedures or help the body re-grow damaged tissues through cell-based treatments.
If advances in regenerative treatments continue, the future could hold medical wonders that can improve quality of life and longevity. Regenerative care could one day allow doctors to create functioning pancreases that could then be placed inside patients with diabetes, allowing them to produce insulin as normal. Similar breakthroughs may permit people with spinal injuries to walk unaided.
