Newswise — On Feb. 24, at 5:30 p.m., Rush University Medical Center will hold a virtual screening and panel discussion of a new documentary about regenerative research that features surgeon and researcher Richard Fessler, MD, PhD.

The four-part documentary to be screened, Ending Disease, highlights Fessler’s revolutionary stem cell efforts and other similar treatments. The series follows patients and their doctors in the first generation of FDA-approved clinical trials.

Top research facilities across the United States, including the Medical Center, are highlighted throughout the duration of ten clinical trials that used regenerative medicine to treat brain cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, HIV, spinal cord injury and more.

Over the course of the four episodes, researchers on the forefront of medical science fight for these trials, as they know medicine is on the cusp of transformations where therapies move away from chemo, radiation, surgeries and a lifetime of treatment and move toward less expensive and curative forms of medicine.

Ending Disease establishes that scientists are working in historical time in medicine, where regenerative medicine is changing therapies from treatments to cures. The series takes the viewer through a powerful and emotional journey where it displays both the human stories of patients and their doctor working together on the frontier of medical science.

For Medical Center’s screening, the filmmakers will donate a portion of the proceeds from each ticket purchased back to Rush to support Fessler's research. You can purchase a ticket and ​sign up for the panel, here.

This documentary and panel are for informational purposes only. Participants should consult with their health care providers if they are in need of care. No photos or video and audio recordings of the documentary or panel are permitted, including sharing on social media.

To learn more about viewing the documentary and attending the virtual panel, please contact us at [email protected].