Cell and gene therapy by somatic stem cells: the paradigm of epithelial stem cells
Michele De Luca, MD is Director of the Centre for Regenerative Medicine “Stefano Ferrari”, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, and Scientific Director and Founder of Holostem Terapie Avanzate S.r.l.
Michele De Luca is internationally recognised as a leading scientist in epithelial stem cell biology aimed at clinical application in regenerative medicine and played a pivotal role in epithelial stem cell-mediated cell therapy and gene therapy. Beside his work on the use of human epidermal stem cell cultures in life-saving treatment of massive full-thickness burns, he, and his principal collaborator Graziella Pellegrini, were first in establishing human urethral epithelial stem cell cultures aimed at urethra regeneration in posterior hypospadias and human limbal stem cell culture aimed at corneal regeneration in patients with severe limbal stem cell deficiency. This latter treatment leads to recovery of vision in patients with poor alternative therapy and was recently approved as advanced therapy medicinal product by the European Medicine Agency with the name of Holoclar®. He is currently coordinating several ex-vivo epidermal stem cell-mediated combined cell and gene therapy clinical trials for genetic skin diseases as Epidermolysis Bullosa. During these studies, Michele De Luca and Graziella Pellegrini reported life-saving regeneration of the entire human epidermis of a Junctional EB patient by means of transgenic epidermal stem cells.
Date:
1 November 2019, 16:00 (Friday, 3rd week, Michaelmas 2019)
Venue:
Medical Sciences Teaching Centre, off South Parks Road OX1 3PL
Venue Details:
The lecture will be followed by opportunities for networking and discussion over drinks and refreshments.
Speaker:
Prof Michele De Luca (University of Modena and Reggio Emilia)
Organising department:
Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Oxford Branch
Organiser:
Prof Colin Goding (Ludwig Cancer Research, University of Oxford)
Organiser contact email address:
olga.perestenko@stemcells.ox.ac.uk
Host:
Prof Colin Goding (Ludwig Cancer Research, University of Oxford)
Topics:
Booking required?:
Not required
Cost:
Free
Audience:
Members of the University only
Editor:
Olga Perestenko
