To discuss that we are organizing the second Regenerative Medicine Conference.
In the upcoming conference (tentative program attached) we wish to discuss:
- the biology of celIs with the characteristics of somatic stem cells,
- the detection, purification and expansion of the cells,
- the functional potential of the cells documented at the bench and in animal experiments,
- the clinical use of marrow derived mononuclear cells fresh or after in vitro propagation.
The conference will be held in Wroclaw on December 14-16th, 2015, at the John Paul II Hotel (Hotel im. Jana Pawła II) and in the Center of Research and Education in the GMP Facility of the Lower Silesian Center for Cellular Transplantation.
The Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy in cooperation with the Lower Silesian Center for Cellular Transplantation will host the invited speakers and facilitate the coming of other participants.
The progress in the field of medicine results in the prolongation of human life. This is due to implementation of new technologies bettering the health care delivery, offering medical doctors new instruments and systems supporting life to overcome acute organ impairment. The other line of activity was born from the basic medical science labs in the field of genetics, immunology and medical biology. The latter achievements not only offered new tools (e.g. monoclonal antibodies) but also helped in tailoring the treatment depending on genetic features of some diseases, especially oncological ones.
People live longer but they want to enjoy life despite age-dependent degeneration of the organs. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, which has already been introduced to routine clinical activity, potentiated the interest of the medical community in stem cells. In a short time it became known that each organ may have its stem cells and that in the marrow exist not only HSC but also marrow stromal cells containing a fraction of cells able to give rise to several tissues built from the mesenchyme. The opinion on the marrow as the natural reservoir of stem cells was further substantiated by the discovery of endothelial stem cells and those described as very small embryonic like cells.
The richness of the marrow in stem cells and newly elaborated techniques describing tissue-specific stem cells attracted clinicians to use stem cell therapy in rebuilding damaged tissues.
The effectiveness of the latter approach was documented in several clinical situations including the treatment of patients with an infarcted heart and those with critical limb ischemia. Regeneration of several tissues is going to be used as a clinical procedure in orthopedics and oncology. Stem cells, namely mesenchymal stem cells, are also in use to mitigate alloreactivity.
Thousand of papers published in the last years showed how great is the interest focused on regenerative medicine. However, some hopes are not positively clinically verified in some situations. There are myths and facts. Therefore, we want to provide all interested biologists and medical specialists with a forum to discuss the results and the prospect of stem cells in regenerative medicine. We are organizing sessions covering all potential uses of cells in regeneration of tissues. The sessions will begin with key note lectures delivered by eminent scientists in the field. In addition to oral and poster sessions, workshops on the description and propagation of cells will be organized and the technique applied will be teletransmitted in real time.
The Polish Academy of Sciences generously supports organization of the meeting which will be held in Wroclaw. It will be a two-day conference on December 14th-16th, 2015, and traditionally as previous conferences organized by our institution will take place in the Medieval Isle of Churches in the vicinity of the University. The isle is situated by the Odra River channels (John Paul II Hotel, Św. Idziego Street).
We will announce the final program by the 4st of November.
Cordially,
Prof. Andrzej Lange
