Activities
The 1st ITERA Life-Sciences Forum workshop was held in Maastricht (The Netherlands) from the 17th until the 19th of June 2005 at the Vaeshartelt Castle Congress Hotel. The initiative was taken by the steering committee and the scientific board of ITERA to submit a European funded project under the 6th Framework Program, EUSTEMBANK. This project was called Cryo-banking of Stem Cells for Human Therapeutic AppLication or CRYSTAL.
In 2006 the CRYSTAL project was selected among more than 800 received applications and was ranked with a third place and a score of 28,5 on 30 points.
The following partners cooperate together: the University Antwerp dept. Experimental Hematology, the Stem Cell Institute Leuven (SCIL); the University Cologne; the University Vienna as well as the University Zürich. On the other hand one Research Institute namely the Fraunhofer Institute Germany St. Ingbert and finally a SME partner the Life-Sciences Group NV (Cryo-Save), both highly specialized in Cryo - Biotechnology.
In June 2006 ITERA Life-Sciences Forum has organized together with the “Berufsverband der Frauenärtzte e.V” Nordrhein, with the GSZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Stammzell – Forschung e.V.), with Grünenthal – Pharma, with Cryo-Save GmbH an the Life-Sciences Group NV a symposium on “Stammzellen in der Gynaekologie”.
Also in June 2006 ITERA Life-Sciences Forum and SIEMENS Belgium have organized a symposium on “In vitro molecular imaging on stem cells” in the Erasmushuis, Antwerp (Belgium).
Several ITERA Life-Sciences Forum members are frequently invited as speakers or moderators on different international and national symposia, workshops as well as congresses.
From the 23rd until the 24th of October 2006 the 2nd ITERA Life-Sciences Forum workshop on “Autologous Stem Cells – Perspectives, Features and Future of Regenerative Medicine" was held in Maastricht (The Netherlands) at the Vaeshartelt Castle Congress Hotel. During this 2nd workshop the representative of the EU welcomed and supported the ITERA initiative. From this 2nd workshop several important projects have been further developed and elaborated.
The BestLiverCell project is headed by Prof. Dr. Maurizio Muraca (Head of the laboratory Ospedale Bambino Gesu, Rome) together with several other European experts. Crucial factor in this project is the development of standards of stem cell lines. The BestLiverCell project has been presented and discussed during an international workshop on 27 February 2007 in Antwerp, at the university hospital of Antwerp, chaired by Prof. Dr. Dirk Ysebaert and Mr. Johnny Vanderstraeten, CEO. Several Belgian, European and North American biotech and pharmacy companies were invited, who are active in the field of innovation and who are conducting research on autologous and allogeneic therapies.
Furthermore two other projects will be initiated as well as one therapeutic oriented project with autologous adult stem cells in the area of stress incontinent treatments. The storage and cryopreservation of the cells will be done by specialized companies also active in the CRYSTAL project.
At September 13th, 2007 the Chairman has been invited for the EU Workshop “GMP facilities & Non Commercial Clinical Trials” in Brussels, as ITERA Life-Sciences Forum is a member of the ISSAC ( Independent Scientific and Stakeholders Advisory Committee).
The 3rd ITERA Life-Sciences Forum workshop was held in Maastricht (The Netherlands) from the 24th until the 27th of October 2007 at the Vaeshartelt Castle Congress Hotel. This workshop was organized in cooperation with the Newcastle University upon Tyne and the Newcastle Centre of Cord Blood Stem Cell Institute by Prof. Colin McGuckin Head of the Department of Regenerative Medicine and his associated Professor Dr Nicolas Forraz. There was a participation of speakers, chairmen, invited people from 18 different countries.
The theme of the 3rd Workshop has been committed by the organizing committee and was: "Stem Cells from the cord-blood, cord and placenta; scientific approaches, pre-clinical and clinical applications."
This workshop was dedicated to the Nobel Price Laureats in Medicin Biology, Immunology and Physiology.
EU projects Framework Program of FP 7 (submitted)
Health-2007-1.4-7: Development of stem cell culture conditions
Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Heiko Zimmermann, Fraunhofer Institute, St. Ingbert, Germany
Health-2007-2.4.5-11: Translational research aiming the treatment of urinary-incontinence
Coordinators Prof Dr Otto Thomas Lukas Klinikum Neuss Department of Urology Germany
Health-2007-2.2.1-7: Restorative approaches for therapy of neurodegenerative diseases.
Coordinator PD Dr. Steiner Barbara Charite Berlin Germany Department of Neurology
Preliminary title of the project:
Basic mechanisms of endogenous plasticity in neurodegenerative diseases of the adult CNS
Marie Curie Training Networks FP7-People 2007-1-1-ITN Newblood
Coordinator Prof Mc Guckin Colin University of Newcastle upon Tyne Stem Cell Institute UK
Health-2007-B, Network with ISSAC and PLACET (Placenta Cells at the Round Table with Adult Stem Cells from other Sources) aim networking the European placenta derived stem cell scientific community, and to bridge this network with other existing stem cell research communities.
