UC3M, IISFJD and CIEMAT create a Chair for Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Bioengineering

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

24-Nov-2014

Contact: Fco. Javier Alonso fjalonso@bib.uc3m.es Carlos III University of Madrid @uc3m

This news release is available in Spanish.

The new Chair springs from the desire to boost biomedical research in pathologies that do not have adequate treatment, above all, in the area of genodermatosis and other skin diseases, in addition to developing innovative therapies that could the subject of clinical trials with patients.

As reflected in the agreement, the Chair's goal is to constitute a research team that is able to generate innovative therapeutic technologies at the national and international level, develop products with a biotechnological base that can benefit patients, foment doctoral theses focusing on this field, and also carry out the dissemination of information at scientific conferences and among the general public. The Chair will be headed by Professor Marcela del Ro Nechaevsky, from the Bioengineering Department at UC3M and the CIEMAT-CIBER Unit of Regenerative Medicine for Rare Diseases.

Among the activities to be carried out under the Chair's support are clinical characterization, physiopathology, cellular and genetic genodermatosis (genetic skin diseases); use of adult stem cells (mesenchymal and epitheial) for cutaneous skin regeneration; and use of 3D matrix carriers of adult stem cells to develop humanized research models and their application in pre-clinical trials

Use of adult stem cells

The Chair, which at the moment also encompasses some twenty researchers, will also carry out work in the area of gene therapy through the use genetically modified stem cells along two lines: its use as bioreactors for factors with biological activity and for pathological phenotype correction in genodermatosis. According to the Chair's Head, Marcela del Ro Nechaevsky, this iniciative will allow "quality research to be carried out and foment its transfer to benefit patients." The aim is to achieve pre-clinical results that in the middle term allow effective transfer to medical practice.

After signing the agreement, the president of the Fundacin Jimnez Daz Health Research Institute (IISFJD), Juan Antonio lvaro de la Parra, reflected that "this Chair will allow us to transfer all the knowledge generated by this research team to society."

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UC3M, IISFJD and CIEMAT create a Chair for Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Bioengineering