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THE GLOBAL STEM CELL EVENT
VIRTUAL
21-26 JUNE, 2021

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FOCUS SESSIONS

Focus Sessions provide in-depth coverage of specific topics of interest and are presented by interested academic and industry groups. Held on 21 June, these educational opportunities in science, society, and education are organized by members and open to all meeting attendees. Sessions are held live, with Q&A and chat, and will be available as on-demand programming for 30 days after the meeting.

Tools for Basic and Applied Stem Cell Technology

Organized by Stem Cell COREdinates
Supported by Thermo Fisher Scientific and STEMCELL Technologies

Stem Cell COREdinates is a consortium of human pluripotent stem cell-focused cores that share expertise with protocols, reagents, and technological advancements to establish “best practices". This year our Focus session will be joined by the Germany-based PluriCore network that promotes the exchange of technologies, methods, and cooperation among iPSC Cores in Europe. The first part of the session will be presentations from COREdinates and PluriCore members and our sponsors that will cover advancements in different areas of expertise including reprogramming, gene editing, disease modeling, and laboratory robotic systems.  The second part of the session will explore advancements in iPSC-derived organoid systems including SARS-CoV-2 research. 

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Stem Cell COREdinates Program

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Deborah French, PhD, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, USA
Welcome from Coredinates

Sebastian Diecke, PhD, Max-Delbrück-Centrum for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin, Germany
Welcome from Pluricore

Valeria Fernandez-Vallone, PhD, Berlin Institute of Health at Charite - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany       
Methods for Automated Single Cell Isolation and Sub-Cloning of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

Ilyas Singec, PhD, NIH Regenerative Medicine Program, USA
Stem Cell Translation by Design

Adam Hirst, PhD, STEMCELL Technologies, Canada
Facilitating hPSC single cell seeding workflows using CloneR™2

Micha Drukker, PhD, Leiden University, Netherlands       
Deciphering the Logic of iPSC Manufacturing for Clinical Applications

Erik Willems, PhD, ThermoFisher, USA
Tools and Technologies for Facilitated Genome Editing in iPSCs

Jarad Churko, PhD, University of Arizona, USA
SARS CoV-2 Infection of hPSC-Derived Cardiomyocytes

Wenli Yang, PhD, University of Pennsylvania, USA
Overview iPSC -Derived Organoid Development

Agnieszka Rybak-Wolf, PhD
, Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB) Max-Delbrück-Centrum for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin, Germany
Disease/Viral Infection Modeling Using Brain Organoids

Patapia Zafeiriou, PhD, University of Göttingen, Germany
Neuro-Cardiomyocyte Crosstalk in A Human iPSC-Derived Autonomically Innervated Cardiac Muscle Model

Robert Zweigerdt, PhD, Hannover Medical School (MHH), Germany
Heart Forming Organoids

Tim Blenkinsop, PhD, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY, USA
SARS CoV -2 Infection in The Human Eye and In an Eye Organoid Model

Jessie Huang, PhD, Boston University, USA
SARS CoV-2 Infection of Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Human Lung Alveolar Type 2 Cells Elicits A Rapid Epithelial-Intrinsic Inflammatory Response
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Developments to Simplify and Accelerate iPSC Research

Organized by The European Bank for induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

The European Bank for iPSCs (EBiSC) is a centralised repository, currently in a second project phase including both non-profit and commercial iPSC researchers (EBiSC2), working to make iPSC tools available and developing protocols which improve and simplify their use. This focus session will share how EBiSC2 partners are adapting and consolidating iPSC expansion, differentiation and cryopreservation approaches to help ease transition into high volume applications whilst also ensuring accessibility for non-expert users. We will discuss how the inclusion of iPSC tool lines in these protocol developments enables rapid generation of functionally mature derived cell types and how the associated iPSC datasets can be broadly shared in an ethically compliant manner. Lastly, common stumbling blocks will be discussed to raise awareness across the community.

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The European Bank for iPSCs Program

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Julia Neubauer, PhD, Fraunhofer-IBMT, Germany
Alfredo Cabrera-Socorro, PhD, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Belgium
Welcome and Overview

Julia Neubauer, PhD, Fraunhofer-IBMT, Germany
Approaches Towards Expansion, Differentiation and Banking Of iPSCs At High Volume

Mikkel Rasmussen, PhD, Bioneer, Denmark
Emilie Lemesre, PhD, Servier, France
iPSC-Derived Hepatocytes in Drug Screening and Toxicology

Alfredo Cabrera-Socorro, PhD, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Belgium
Development of A Fully Human Neuronal and Astrocyte Co-Culture Assay Amenable For Electrophysiological Studies In Functionally Mature Neurons

Benjamin Schmid, PhD, Bioneer, Denmark
Gene-Editing in iPSCs - Unexpected Pitfalls: On-Target Effects

Andreas Kurtz, PhD, Fraunhofer-IBMT, Germany
Collection, Standardisation and Sharing Of iPSC Associated Datasets Using Open Tools

Eugenia Jones, PhD, Fujifilm Cellular Dynamics, USA
Common Non-Scientific Challenges in The Generation, Use and Sharing Of iPSC Lines.

Panel Discussion: Upcoming Challenges In iPSC Research from An Academic and Industry Perspective. 
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Improving Reproducibility and Scaling-Up of Stem Cell Cultures

Organized by Eppendorf AG

Technologies based on hiPSCs, MSCs and differentiated cells derived from them lay the basis for pioneering approaches in drug discovery and regenerative medicine. The routine use of stem cell-based applications requires high cell numbers in consistent quality. Standardized cell production requires a thorough understanding of how growth parameters impact cell growth and fate, and the ability to control these parameters. The supply of high cell numbers needs scalable culture systems. In this focus session Eppendorf will host experts from industry and academia to discuss methods for improving reproducibility and for scaling-up of stem cell cultivation. Our speakers will present examples for the benefits of process control using bioreactors. Experts will share their experience when translating cultivation from flasks and dishes to a three-dimensional bioreactor system. Furthermore, the session will offer insight into scale-up strategies using stirred-tank bioreactors.

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Eppendorf AG Program

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Philipp Nold, PhD, Eppendorf AG, Germany
Welcome and Overview

Leopold Koenig, PhD, TissUse GmbH, Germany
My Motivation to Work with Stem Cells

Leopold Koenig, PhD, TissUse GmbH, Germany
Scalable Production of Neural Spheroids in a Suspension Bioreactor System For Multi-Organ-Chip Systems

Margarida Serra, PhD, iBET, Portugal
My Motivation to Work with Stem Cells

Margarida Serra, PhD, iBET, Portugal
Improving Differentiation and Maturation of hPSC into Functional Hepatocytes: A Biology-Inspired Approach

Arie Reijerkerk, PhD, Ncardia Services BV, Netherlands
My Motivation to Work with Stem Cells

Arie Reijerkerk, PhD, Ncardia Services BV, Netherlands
Large-Scale Manufacturing Of hiPSC-Derived Cardiomyocytes For Cell Therapy

Juline Guenat, PhD, Cell and Gene Therapy catapult, UK
My Motivation to Work with Stem Cells

Juline Guenat, PhD, Cell and Gene Therapy catapult, UK
Development of An End-To-End Platform for the Controlled, Closed, Scalable And Cost-Effective Manufacture of Allogeneic Therapies Derived from Pluripotent Stem Cells in Aggregate-Based Cultures

Ferdinand Biermann, M. Sc., Fraunhofer-Institut für Produktionstechnologie IPT, Germany
My Motivation to Work with Stem Cells

Ferdinand Biermann, M. Sc., Fraunhofer-Institut für Produktionstechnologie IPT, Germany
Fully Automated Robotic Large-Scale Production and Analysis of Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Panel: Ask the Experts: Strategies in Stem Cell Bioprocessing
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Driving Change in Regenerative Medicine Through Global Partnerships

Organized by Novo Nordisk Stem Cell R&D 

In Stem Cell R&D our mission is to improve the lives of patients suffering from serious chronic diseases by developing innovative stem cell-based therapies. We want to be an industry leader in stem cell research and development – a rapidly developing area of far-reaching opportunity with the potential to address, or even cure, a number of serious chronic diseases. As a dedicated Transformational Research Unit, we combine the speed and agility of a small biotech with the quality of a major pharma company and we cover the full pharmaceutical value chain, often working in close collaboration with leading international scientists and with colleagues across Novo Nordisk. Novo Nordisk has been active in stem cell research for over 20 years in type 1 diabetes, and we are now expanding our project portfolio to include Parkinson’s disease, dry age-related macular degeneration and chronic heart failure plus a number of early exploratory projects. At the session, we and some of our partners will present key projects we are working on and give an introduction to what it is like to work at Novo Nordisk and with Novo Nordisk in a partnership.

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Novo Nordisk Program

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Jacob Sten Petersen, DMSc Professor
, Novo Nordisk, Denmark
Welcome and introduction to Novo Nordisk

Agnete Kirkeby, PhD, Lund University, Sweden
A Pluripotent Cell Therapy for Parkinson’s Disease – Preparing for Clinical Trial

Klearchos Papas, PhD, University of Arizona, USA
Partnering for the Development of a Functional Cure for T1D

Fredrik Lanner, PhD, Karolinska Institute, Sweden
CellThRPE1  -A collaborative path towards treatment of Age-related Macular Degeneration

Kikuo Yasui, COO, Heartseed, Japan
Innovative Cell Therapies to Treat Heart Failure

Nico Lachmann, Prof, Dr Robert Zweigerdt, PhD, Hannover Medical School, Germany
Designer Macrophage Manufacturing & Therapeutic Applications in the Lung

Melissa Little, Prof, MCRI & ISSCR, Australia
Partnering to Drive Change in Stem Cell Based Therapies - Kidney Engineering Collaboration

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Innovative Technologies for Delivery of Cell Therapies

Organized by Sigilon Therapeutics, Inc.

Development of cell therapies, including stem cell-derived therapies, is a rapidly emerging field for treatment of a variety of diseases. Key considerations for cell-based products are shielding them from the immune system, mitigating the foreign body response, and maintaining viability and function. To address these considerations and leverage the potential of cell therapies, the session will focus on innovative approaches to enhance product delivery including encapsulation, genetic engineering, and modifications to improve the cellular niche.

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Sigilon Therapeutics Program

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Olivia Kelly, PhD, Sigilon Therapeutics, Inc., USA
Welcome and Overview

Daniel Anderson, PhD, Massachusetts Insitute of Technology, USA
Encapsulation approaches for cell transplantation

Omid Veiseh, PhD, Rice University, USA 
Functional platforms of implantable devices for clinical applications

Cherie Stabler, PhD, University of Florida, USA
Development of tissue engineering platforms for improving cell therapies for diabetes

Break

Qizhi Tang, PhD, University of California, San Francisco, USA
Co-transplantation of pancreatic islets and parathyroid gland for treatment of diabetes

Tamir Rashid, MD, PhD, Imperial College & King's College Hospital, UK
Novel platforms for treating liver disease
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The Science and Ethics of Generating Gametes From Stem Cells

Organized by the ISSCR Ethics Committee

Through in vitro gametogenesis (IVG) it is possible to create precursor cells to sperm and eggs in the lab using human stem cells. While it is yet to be established whether these cells can form fully functional human gametes, animal studies point to a future where this may be possible. As researchers refine IVG and its applications, it is important to consider what ethical boundaries ought to exist and whether researchers and regulators should define any limits. Join us to hear an expert panel discuss latest scientific progress and important ethical and policy considerations. Topics will include challenges around evaluation of gamete functionality, ethical sources of cells and informed consent considerations, implications for nonhuman primate research, reproductive technologies, and future parentage arrangements. We will also discuss recent changes to the ISSCR Guidelines relevant to IVG. This is a timely opportunity to find out more about this fascinating area of stem cell research.

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The ISSCR Ethics Committee Program

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Megan Munsie, PhD, University of Melbourne, Australia
Welcome and Overview

Katsuhiko Hayashi, PhD, Kyushu University, Japan
Oogenesis in vitro in mice and other species

Debra Mathews, PhD, MA, Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, USA
Science, Ethics, and Policy Challenges of Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Gametes: Reflections on the 2008 Hinxton Group Consensus Statement and a Decade of Scientific and Governance Evolution

Amander Clark, PhD, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
How Close Are We to Generating Human Sperm and Eggs in The Lab?

Break

Heidi Mertes, PhD, Ghent University, Belgium
Ethical exploration of IVG: between innovation and precaution

Kyle Orwig, PhD, University of Pittsburg, USA
Spermatogonial stem cell therapies for male infertility

Insoo Hyun, PhD, Case Western Reserve University; Harvard University, USA
ISSCR Guidelines revisions and what they mean for research and policy regarding IVG

Panel Discussion

Megan Munsie, PhD
, University of Melbourne, Australia
Closing Remarks

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What to Know Before You Go: Understanding Cell Therapy Product Development

Organized by the ISSCR Industry Committee

As new discoveries are quickly being translated into potentially transformative cell therapies, developing new treatments ultimately involves manufacturing stem cell-derived products. Manufacturing cell therapies, however, involves critical processes that are often unfamiliar to academic scientists driving research forward. This Focus Session will explore the important and necessary considerations for developing cell therapies, including key insights from seasoned cell therapy pioneers and regulators regarding what to know before you go, and how to get there.

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The ISSCR Industry Committee Program

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Felicia Pagliuca, PhD, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, USA
Welcome and Overview: Part I | Clinical Cell Manufacturing: So you think you have a cell product?

Melissa Carpenter, PhD, ElevateBio & The Carpenter Group, USA
End-to-End Product Development

Derek Hei, PhD, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, USA
Clinical Manufacturing

Behnam Ahmadian Baghbaderani, PhD
, Lonza, USA
Process and Scaling

Panel Discussion

Break

Jennifer Moody, PhD, Pall Corporation, Canada
Welcome and Overview: Part II | Navigating the Manufacturing and Regulatory Gauntlet: Lessons Learned

Donald Fink, PhD, Dark Horse Consulting, USA
Insights from Regulators- USA Perspective

Jacqueline Barry, PhD, Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, UK
Insights from Regulators- UK/EU Perspective

Jane Lebkowski, PhD, Regenerative Patch Technologies, USA
Insights from A Stem Cell Therapy Pioneer - USA Perspective

Jun Takahashi, MD, PhD, CiRA & Kyoto University, Japan
Insights from A Stem Cell Therapy Pioneer - Japan Perspective

Panel Discussion

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