What’s Next for Regenerative Medicine? NYSCF Drives Discussions at the World Stem Cell Summit

Last week, thousands of researchers and thought leaders gathered at the annual Phacilitate Leaders World and World Stem Cell Summit in Miami to discuss recent advancements in regenerative medicine, clinical trials, bioethics, and more. Several of NYSCF’s leadership were in attendance, participating in prominent panel discussions.

NYSCF CEO Susan L. Solomon chaired a panel discussion at the World Stem Cell Summit entitled, “The impact of converging technologies for stem cell research and translation,” that featured Dr. Evan Snyder of the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, Dr. Lorenz Studer of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and Dr. Tim Ganey of Vivex Biomedical. Ms. Solomon led a discussion on advances in stem cell technologies and methods for differentiating stem cells into disease-relevant cell types for curative treatments, highlighting how NYSCF’s automated technologies such as the Global Stem Cell Array^TM are accelerating human disease research and similar advances in manufacturing of clinical-grade cells are a significant need for the industry. The panel discussed how the critical area for innovation is around scaling out, not only up, production of cellular therapies, and the regulatory considerations for bringing these therapies into the clinic.

NYSCF’s Chief Business Officer Dr. Elizabeth Schwarzbach was also featured in two panel discussions and presented an overview of the discoveries coming out of NYSCF. The first discussion, part of Phacilitate Leaders World, focused on developing successful academia/non-profit and pharma partnerships, Dr. Schwarzbach spoke about value creation in translational science partnerships and how these collaborations can accelerate science from the bench to patients. In the second session (a part of World Stem Cell Summit) that focused on advancing treatments through stem cell research and replacement, she shared recent advancements made possible by stem cell reprogramming, highlighting NYSCF’s human disease modeling techniques for neurodegeneration drug and diagnostic discovery, macular degeneration therapeutic program, and integrated automation platform for generating human stem cells, differentiating them to the relevant disease cell type, and gene editing a mutation of interest.

Meetings like the World Stem Cell Summit, Phacilitate Leaders World, and the NYSCF Conference are important opportunities for scientists to convene, discuss new developments, and begin to act on the priorities in terms of unmet needs for technological innovations and therapeutic interventions for patients. NYSCF is committed to fostering collaboration between stem cell leaders around the world and we look forward to participating in next year’s meeting.