Boston Children’s Hospitals’ Dr. Dario Fauza Addresses Congress of Perinatal Medicine in Italy

Print  | 

Potential of Amniotic Fluid Stem Cells Featured in Keynote Address

     

     

The conference is organized by SIMP (Italian Society of Perinatal Medicine) and brings together doctors and experts of different disciplines to speak on the many aspects affecting their field such as medical, cultural, and social changes.

During his address, Dr. Fauza specifically outlined his ongoing research on fetal birth defects that are detectable by ultrasound and prenatal diagnostic tests. Dr. Fauza also spoke about the importance of stem cells from amniotic fluid to his ongoing research work through Boston Children’s Hospital.

In an article by Maria Cristina Carratu in La Repubblica, Italy’s second largest daily newspaper, Dr. Fauza is credited for being part of this “new frontier of medicine through his work on regenerative therapy based stem cells.” According to the La Repubblica story, Fauza said “at stake is the ability to cure genetic diseases directly to fetuses in the womb or at birth, using new healthy tissue created from stem cells taken from the mother during pregnancy in a normal amniocentesis.”

Fauza also notes in the story that “pluripotent mesenchymal cells have been discovered in amniotic fluid and come with an enormous capacity for differentiation that are capable of multiplying into many different cell lines, bone, muscle, nerve, fat, kidney, cartilage and more.”

Dr. Fauza adds ” By freezing amniotic fluid stem cells, each individual has a ‘deposit of life’ for the future.”

At the end of his address, Dr. Fauza also took a moment to mention the work of scientists throughout Italy. ‘There are many senior scientists and leaders in this field in your country” he said.

One such leader is Professor Giuseppe Simoni, Biocell Center Director and Professor of Human Genetics at the University of Milan. “Amniotic stem cells represent an important hope for the future of stem cell therapy,” he said in a recent interview. “The stem cells contained in the fluid surrounding the fetus are very important and valuable.”

To read La Repubblica article in Italian go to http://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/2011/04/01/la-malattie-si-curano-nel-ventre-materno.html For more information about the conference go to http://www.simponline.it/site/d_page.asp?IDPagina=12&Section=

Other press releases from GCI Health

• Successful Transplant of Trachea Grown From Patient’s Own Cells - July 13th, 2011
• Grant Will Study Amniotic Fluid Stem Cells’ Potential to Treat Alport Syndrome - June 14th, 2011
• Scientists create kidneys from amniotic fluid stem cells - April 18th, 2011
• Biocell Center Attends American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine Annual Convention - April 16th, 2011
• Study Confirms Third Trimester Amniotic Fluid As Reliable Stem Cell Source for Use in Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Banking - February 16th, 2011