title: Promissory identities: Sociotechnical representations & innovation in regenerative medicine.
abstract: The field of regenerative medicine (RM) is championed as a potential source of curative treatments and economic wealth, and initiatives have been launched in several countries to facilitate innovation within the field. As a way of examining the social dimensions of innovation within regenerative medicine, this paper explores the sociotechnical representations of RM technologies in the UK, and the tensions, affordances and complexities these representations present for actors within the field. Specifically, the paper uses the Science and Technology Studies-inspired notions of 'technology identity' and 'development space' to examine how particular technologies are framed and positioned by actors, and how these positionings subsequently shape innovation pathways. Four developing RM technologies are used as case studies: bioengineered tracheas; autologous chondrocyte implantation; T-cell therapies; and a 'point-of-care' cell preparation device. Using these case studies we argue that there are particular identity aspects that have powerful performative effects and provide momentum to innovation projects, and we argue that there are particular stakeholders in the UK RM landscape who appear to have considerable power in shaping these technology identities and thus innovation pathways.
authors.affiliation: Science and Technology Studies Unit, Department of Sociology University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD United Kingdom. Electronic address: john.gardner@york.ac.uk.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gardner
authors.affiliation: Science and Technology Studies Unit, Department of Sociology University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD United Kingdom. Electronic address: rh955@york.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Ruchi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Higham
authors.affiliation: Centre for Global Health Policy, University of Sussex, Falmer Brighton, BN1 9RH, United Kingdom. Electronic address: A.Faulkner@sussex.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Faulkner
authors.affiliation: Science and Technology Studies Unit, Department of Sociology University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD United Kingdom. Electronic address: andrew.webster@york.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Webster
mesh_terms: D057005:Bioengineering / Q000639:trends; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology* / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D036301:Qualitative Research; D044968:Regenerative Medicine / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends*; D006113:United Kingdom
keywords: Cell therapies; Innovation; Regenerative medicine; Science and technology studies; United Kingdom