Stem Cell Therapy for Neurodegenerative Diseases - International event in the Italian Republic Senate

The conference will be held in Rome, organised by Professor and Senator for life Elena Cattaneo, on November 10th at 9am (to 4pm), in the Sala Zuccari at Palazzo Giustiniani (via della Dogana Vecchia, 29). The event is organized in the context of the EU FP7 funded Consortium Neurostemcellrepair.

The meeting in the Senate will focus on recent developments in research on adult and embryonic stem cells, with particular attention to Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease and Multiple Sclerosis. Stem cells have already been used in skin, cornea and bone marrow transplantations. Today, certain types of stem cells can be converted into transplantable neurons. In particular, speakers will present the results obtained with embryonic stem cells in Parkinson’s disease animal models, which need further testing before they can be potentially used for clinical application in the future.

At the Senate event, speakers include renowned doctors and scholars from Belgium, Germany, Italy, Sweden and Great Britain. Among them is the team from the University of Lund who has pioneered and continued to innovate the field of research on Parkinson’s disease. Importantly, representatives from the patients’ communities will be bringing their own personal testimonies, including Charles Sabine formerly NBC journalist and Tom Isaacs founder of The Cure Parkinson’s Trust. Furthermore, Ruxandra Draghia-Akli, Director of the Health Research Directorate of the European Commission and Guido Panté in representation of the Italian Medicine Agency (A.I.F.A.) will present aspects at the very heart of research investments for the future of European Countries.