Title: Regenerative Medicine Workforce

Description: Regenerative medicine is an emerging field of health care
that has the potential to cure previously untreatable diseases, repair
or replace damaged human cells, tissue or organs, and save lives. While
the promise is vast, the workforce needed at all levels for this field
of medicine is missing. We'll find out more from GAO's Leslie Gordon.

Related GAO Work: GAO-23-106030, Regenerative Medicine and Advanced
Therapies: Information on Workforce and Education

Released: March 2023

[Music]

[Leslie Gordon:] The advancement and availability of regenerative
medicine therapies really depends on a robust workforce.

[Holly Hobbs:] Hi and welcome to GAO's Watchdog Report. Your source for
news and information from the U.S. Government Accountability Office. I'm
your host, Holly Hobbs. Regenerative medicine is an emerging field of
health care that has the potential to cure previously untreatable
diseases, repair or replace human cells, tissue or organs, and save
lives. While the promise is vast, the workforce needed at all levels of
this field of medicine is missing. We'll find out more from GAO's Leslie
Gordon, an expert on health care policy. Thanks for joining us.

[Leslie Gordon:] My pleasure.

[Holly Hobbs:] So, Leslie, what is regenerative medicine and what does
it have the potential to do that current treatments don't? 

[Leslie Gordon:] Regenerative medicine refers to the use of cells,
genes, and tissue based therapies that are introduced to repair damage
and restore function. Some of the more common types of regenerative
medicine therapies include stem cell bone marrow transplants. There are
also genetically modified cells that can be reintroduced to the body to
treat certain kinds of blood cancers, like lymphoma. It's different from
current treatments in that it introduces new healthy cells and tissues
that can restore function.

[Holly Hobbs:] Our report looked at the workforce needed to move the
field of regenerative medicine forward. What did we find out about the
types of jobs that need workers? 

[Leslie Gordon:] So the workforce involved in these therapeutic
interventions is wide ranging and interdisciplinary. In our work, we
categorize four different areas of therapy development ─ research and
development, bio-manufacturing, clinical care, and managing regulatory
aspects. So this runs the gamut of research scientists, biochemical and
other engineers, data scientists. And then you have your clinical staff,
you've got specialty physicians, you've got nurses, phlebotomists Then
you have laboratory processing staff, clinical pharmacologists, and the
folks who manage the regulatory aspects ─ so quality assurance
specialists and regulatory affairs consultants.

[Holly Hobbs:] So among these occupations, where was the need for more
workers the greatest?

[Leslie Gordon:] So the advancement and availability of regenerative
medicine therapies really depends on a robust workforce, as you can
imagine. And there are no comprehensive data on the workforce because it
is interdisciplinary. It's hard to track all the occupations involved.
And you need advanced degrees, you need specialized training, and you
need experience. We talked to stakeholders to learn more. They told us
they specifically needed technicians with specialized skills and
experience to conduct the lab research activities. They said there was a
shortage of folks to manage quality control and quality assurance
activities, and they said there was a shortage of data scientists to
help with all the data management involved.

{MUSIC}

[Holly Hobbs:] Leslie just told us that regenerative medicine has the
vast potential to treat or cure previously untreatable or incurable
illnesses. But its advancement depends on having a robust workforce that
it currently lacks. So, Leslie, you said we met with stakeholders to get
their views on this issue. What did they say needs to happen to help
address workforce shortages?

[Leslie Gordon:] So stakeholders told us there was no nationally
recognized curricula for the scientists, clinicians, or profession
als. And many stakeholders suggested establishing additional technical
and educational opportunities, mostly at the vocational or community
college level. Those folks with two year degrees who can really dive in
and do the technical work in a laboratory.

[Holly Hobbs:] And last question, what's the bottom line of this report?

[Leslie Gordon:] The current educational paths for regenerative medicine
workforce are insufficient at this time to meet the needs of the
workforce as it exists and the future needs that hold the promise of the
therapies.

[Holly Hobbs:] That was Leslie Gordon talking about our new report on
the regenerative medicine workforce. Thanks for your time, Leslie.

[Leslie Gordon:] My pleasure, Holly.

[Holly Hobbs:] And thank you for listening to the Watchdog Report. To
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