EASY SCIENCE CONFERENCE SERIES: Cellular reprogramming: a real tool of regenerative medicine?

Cellular reprogramming: a real tool of regenerative medicine?

In recent years, there have been numerous studies of how adult cells of our body can be turn back into stem cells (i.e. those that have the potential to become any type of adult cell). A skin cell, for example, can be "induced" (converted) into a stem cell again, and then be transformed into a cell of another tissue (muscle, nerve, blood, etc.).

This has generated great interest in the field of regenerative medicine. For example, this type of cells called "induced pluripotent stem cells" (IPS) can be used in the treatment of many diseases. But is this really possible? What should we keep in mind according to this approach? Scientists have also discovered that the reprogramming of adult cells can occur naturally in the body, but still do not understand why this happens and, more importantly for the purposes of regenerative medicine, how it happens.

Maria Pia Cosma, PhD from the University of Naples, is since 2010, ICREA Research Professor and Head of Regeneration group Reprogramming at the CRG. Her research group is dedicated to studying the mechanisms that control the reprogramming of adult cells in order to determine whether this reprogramming contributes to tissue regeneration in higher vertebrates (fish, amphibians, birds and mammals).

Speaker: Maria Pia Cosma, ICREA Research Professor, leader of the group Reprogramming and Regeneration, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG)

Date: 12th December 2011

Time: 19:00 h

Place: Auditori, MACBA, Pl. del Àngels 1, 08001 Barcelona

Other useful information: Limited seating (200 people). The talk will be in English and there will be simultaneous translation service.

For further information: comunicacio@crg.eu