WFIRM has a long history of collaboration and a leadership role with the
Department of Defense and the Armed Forces. It leads the Armed Forces Institute
of Regenerative Medicine (AFIRM), a consortium of more than 30 academic
institutions and industry partners to deliver regenerative-based technologies
leading to functional and aesthetic recovery from injuries incurred in military
service.
Two phases of AFIRM research programs led to 25 clinical trials and hundreds of
patients who received treatment with AFIRM-funded technologies. AFIRM focuses
on developing clinical therapies in the following areas: Reconstruction for facial and
skull injuries through tissue regeneration; Regeneration of skin for burn injuries;
New treatments to prevent rejection of “composite” transplants such as face and
hands; Restoration of function to severely traumatized limbs; and Reconstruction of
the genital and urinary organs and lower abdomen.