Ireland’s first dedicated patient stem cell research facility has been opened today by RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences. The RCSI Patient Stem Cell Discovery Core is a state-of-the-art research lab that will accelerate innovation in stem cell science and play a vital role in advancing personalised and precision medicine.

Located at RCSI’s Smurfit Education and Research Centre at Beaumont Hospital, the new facility marks a significant milestone in patient-centred biomedical research in Ireland. It will enable advanced stem cell research and personalised drug testing, with initial applications focusing on lung disease and extending to other conditions over time.

A unique facility in Ireland, the RCSI Patient Stem Cell Discovery Core is fully integrated within both Beaumont Hospital’s clinical services and RCSI’s research ecosystem. Patient samples can be brought directly from the hospital to the research lab just a short walk away, enabling clinically informed and comprehensive testing of personalised treatments.

The vision of this facility is that the proximity of the hospital will mean that the impact of discoveries can be felt more quickly, with insights generated in the lab directly informing patient care back in the hospital. This closed loop of research and treatment is particularly valuable in diseases like pulmonary fibrosis, where precise and tailored interventions are essential.

The facility will also support gene editing to advance novel therapeutic strategies and partnerships with industry and academic institutions to create a collaborative hub for discovery.

Better patient care

Professor Killian Hurley, Associate Professor of Medicine at RCSI and Consultant in Respiratory Medicine at Beaumont Hospital, emphasised its transformative potential: “Through this unique national resource, we can now test new drugs on patient-specific cells grown in the lab. This will enable clinicians to better predict treatment responses and translate this into patient care, particularly in complex lung diseases where a personalised approach is essential. It is a major step forward in our ability to tailor treatments to the individual.”

David Crosby, a double lung transplant recipient, has been a passionate supporter of the new facility and helped raise funds to make it a reality: “As someone living with pulmonary fibrosis and the recipient of a double lung transplant, I know how critical it is to have access to treatments that are tailored to each patient’s condition. This facility will help make treatments more personalised and evidence-based not just for me but for many others living with complex conditions. I’m proud to have supported something that puts patients at the heart of discovery and care.”

Advancing precision medicine

The launch of the RCSI Patient Stem Cell Discovery Core reinforces RCSI’s role as a national and international leader in translational medicine, placing patient outcomes at the centre of research.

Professor Fergal O’Brien, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation at RCSI, said: “We are proud to lead the way with Ireland’s first fully clinically integrated patient stem cell research lab. By enabling our researchers and collaborators to develop stem-cell-based models of disease, we’re accelerating the translation of laboratory discoveries into treatments. This is a true bench-to-bedside resource, advancing precision medicine that is tailored to the individual needs of patients.

The RCSI Patient Stem Cell Discovery Core is co-funded by RCSI and the generous support from patient advocates. Future work in the facility will be supported by funding from Research Ireland, the Health Research Board, and the European Research Council.