Report on the Program for Advanced Cell Therapy and its Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals

Program Overview

• Institution: University of Wisconsin (UW) School of Medicine
• Initiative: The Program for Advanced Cell Therapy
• Leadership: Dr. Jacques Gallipeau, Program Director
• Primary Objective: The development of advanced treatments and potential cures for a range of diseases.

Alignment with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The research and development activities of the Program for Advanced Cell Therapy directly support the achievement of several key Sustainable Development Goals.

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   The program’s core mission is fundamentally aligned with ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages.

   • Target 3.4: By focusing on treatments for cancer, multiple sclerosis, and diabetes, the program directly contributes to reducing premature mortality from non-communicable diseases.
   • The exploration of curative therapies represents a significant step towards improving global health outcomes and enhancing quality of life.

2. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

   This initiative embodies the spirit of scientific innovation required to build resilient infrastructure and foster sustainable industrialization.

   • Target 9.5: The program enhances scientific research and upgrades the technological capabilities of medical institutions by pioneering advanced cell therapies.
   • It serves as a model for investment in research and development (R&D) within the critical healthcare sector.

Analysis of SDGs in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
   • The article’s primary focus is on the “Program for Advanced Cell Therapy” which is “developing treatments and possible cures for cancer, multiple sclerosis, diabetes and other diseases.” This directly aligns with SDG 3’s goal to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages by tackling major non-communicable diseases.
2. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
   • The work described is centered on advanced scientific research and medical innovation. The “Program for Advanced Cell Therapy” represents an investment in research infrastructure and the promotion of scientific innovation to solve critical health challenges, which is a core component of SDG 9.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one-third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.
   • The program’s effort to find “treatments and possible cures for cancer, multiple sclerosis, diabetes” directly contributes to this target by aiming to improve treatment outcomes and reduce mortality from these specific non-communicable diseases.
2. Target 3.b: Support the research and development of vaccines and medicines for the communicable and non-communicable diseases that primarily affect developing countries, in particular, provide access to affordable essential medicines and vaccines.
   • The article highlights a program dedicated to “research possibilities” and the development of new treatments. This embodies the spirit of Target 3.b, which calls for supporting research and development of medicines for major diseases.
3. Target 9.5: Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries… including, by 2030, encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers… and public and private research and development spending.
   • The existence of a “Program for Advanced Cell Therapy” at a major university school of medicine is a direct manifestation of this target. It represents an effort to enhance scientific research and encourage innovation in the healthcare sector.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Implied Indicators for Target 3.4:
   • The article does not provide quantitative data, but it implies that progress can be measured by the successful development of “treatments and possible cures.” Therefore, an implied indicator is the number of new, effective cell therapies developed and approved for diseases like cancer, MS, and diabetes. This would ultimately contribute to the official indicator, 3.4.1 (Mortality rate attributed to cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes or chronic respiratory disease).
2. Implied Indicators for Target 9.5:
   • The article implicitly points to indicators related to research and development activity. The program itself is an indicator of R&D investment. Progress could be measured by the amount of public and private funding secured for the program, the number of researchers employed, or the number of scientific papers published based on its research. These align with the official indicator 9.5.1 (Research and development expenditure as a proportion of GDP).

SDGs, Targets and Indicators Summary

Source: wpr.org