Monday, March 19 (Click on Speaker name to read abstract)

Day 1

13.30 – 15.00

Registration

15.00 – 15.30

OPENING CEREMONY

15.30 – 18.10

SESSION 1: EMBRYONIC AND INDUCED PLURIPOTENT STEM CELLS (I)
CHAIRPERSONS:  Hans-Werner Denker (Universität Duisburg-Essen, Germany) -
Mariusz Z. Ratajczak (University of Louisville , USA)

15.30 – 16.00

Fiorella Altruda (University of Torino, Italy) - Germline cell-derived pluripotent stem cells: factors controlling transdifferentiation and potential applications in animal models of disease.

16.00 – 16.30

Jose Cibelli (Michigan State University, USA and LARCel, Spain) - Reprogrammed transcriptome in rhesus-bovine interspecies somatic cell nuclear transfer embryos.

16.30 – 16.50

COFFEE BREAK

16.50 – 17.20

Massimo De Felici (University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Italy) - Generation of oocytes from stem cells: a biological view

17.20 – 17.50

Graham C. Parker (Wayne State University, USA) - How best to advance neurodegenerative research using pluripotent stem cells

17.50 – 18.10

DISPUTATIO

  Tuesday, March 20 (Click on Speaker name to read abstract)

9.30 – 11.20

SESSION 2: EMBRYONIC AND INDUCED PLURIPOTENT STEM CELLS (II)
CHAIRPERSONS: Anne L. Plant (National Institute of Standards and Technology, USA) - Massimo De Felici (University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Italy)

9.30 – 10.00

Marco Onorati (University of Milano, Italy) - Developmentally coordinated extrinsic signals drive human pluripotent stem cell differentiation towards fully functional DARPP-32+ medium-sized spiny neurons

10.00 – 10.30

Neil J. Harrison (The University of Sheffield, UK) - Culture adaptation of human ES cells – evolution invitro

10.30 – 11.00

Paola Rebuzzini (University of Pavia, Italy) - Genomic stability of mouse embryonic stem cells after -rays treatment

11.00 – 11.20

DISPUTATIO

11.20 – 11.40

COFFEE BREAK

11.40 – 13.30

SESSION 3 - PHYSICAL FACTORS AND STEM CELLS
CHAIRPERSONS: Paolo Di Nardo (University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Italy) - Neil J. Harrison (The University of Sheffield, UK)

11.40 – 12.10

Masahiro Kino-Oka (Osaka University, Japan) - Manufacturing of cells and tissues based on flexible Modular Platform

12.10 – 12.40

Monica Monici (Laboratorio Congiunto ASAcampus, and University of Florence, Italy) - The role of physical factors in stem cell differentiation and tissue engineering

12.40 – 13.10

Murli Dhar Tiwari (University of Delhi, India) - Adhesion or anti adhesion? What is the significance of stem cell antigen CD34 in hematopoietic biology?

13.10 – 13.30

DISPUTATIO

13.30 – 14.30

LUNCH AND POSTER SESSION

14.30 – 16.20

SESSION 4 - ETHICAL AND LEGAL ASPECTS IN STEM CELL RESEARCH
CHAIRPERSONS: Jose Cibelli (Michigan State University, USA and LARCel, Spain) - Graham C. Parker (Wayne State University, USA)

14.30 – 15.00

Hans-Werner Denker (University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany) - A quest for redefining stem cell induction strategies: How to deal with ethical objections and patenting problems

15.00 – 15.30

Maria Cristina Galli (Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy) - Regulatory issues in developing Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products with stem cells in EU

15.30 – 16.00

Anne L. Plant (National Institute of Standards and Technology, USA) - NIST Activities in Metrology for Stem Cells

16.00 – 16.20

DISPUTATIO

16.20 – 16.40

COFFEE BREAK

16.40 – 18.45

SESSION 5 - STEM CELLS AND CANCER
CHAIRPERSONS: Lucio Luzzatto (Istituto Toscano Tumori, Florence, Italy) - Sergio Capaccioli (University of Florence, Italy)

16.40 – 17.10

Persio Dello Sbarba (University of Florence, Italy) - Cancer and Leukaemia Stem Cells and their environment in cancer resistance to treatment

17.10 – 17.40

Enrico Mini (University of Florence, Italy) - The impact of the concept of Tumor Stem Cells on cancer therapy

17.40 – 18.10

Roberta Santini (Istituto Toscano Tumori, Florence, Italy) - Hedgehog signaling in Melanoma Stem Cells

18.10 – 18.25

Lucio Luzzatto (Istituto Toscano Tumori, Florence, Italy) - Concluding remarks

18.25 – 18.45

DISPUTATIO

Wednesday, March 21 (Click on Speaker name to read abstract)

Day 3

9.30 – 11.20

SESSION 6 - STEM CELL MODELS AND THERAPEUTIC APPLICATIONS
CHAIRPERSONS: Marco Onorati (University of Milano, Italy) - Robert Passier (Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands)

9.30 – 10.00

Alberto d’Onofrio (IFOM-IEO, Milano, Italy) - Mathematical Modelling of Stem Cell Kinetics

10.00 – 10.30

Maurilio Sampaolesi (University of Pavia, Italy and KU Leuven, Belgium)  - Epigenetic memory of iPS cells to enhance muscle differentiation

10.30 – 11.00

Mariusz Z. Ratajczak (University of Louisville , USA) - Very Small Embryonic Like Stem Cells (VSELs) – our key to regeneration, longevity and passkey to cancer

11.00 – 11.20

DISPUTATIO

11.20 – 11.40

COFFEE BREAK

11.40 – 13.30

SESSION 7: PLURIPOTENT VS ADULT STEM CELLS IN HEART REPAIR
CHAIRPERSONS: Fiorella Altruda (University of Torino, Italy) - Maurilio Sampaolesi (University of Pavia, Italy and KU Leuven, Belgium)

11.40 – 12.10

Robert Passier (Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands) - Human pluripotent stem cells as models for cardiac development, disease and drug screening.

12.10 – 12.40

Dinender K. Singla (University of Central Florida, USA)- Cardiac Regeneration in the Diabetic Heart

12.40 – 13.10

Paolo Di Nardo (University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Italy) - Engineered human cardiac progenitor cells in heart repair

13.10 – 13.30

DISPUTATIO