Pluripotency and Reprogramming Symposium

Date: 

Friday, April 17, 2015, 8:30am to 7:30pm

Location: 

Broad Institute, Auditorium, 415 Main Street, Cambridge, MA

Human ​pluripotent ​stem ​cells ​possess ​the ​ability ​to ​self ​renew  ​in ​vitro ​while ​maintaining ​a ​developmental ​plasticity ​that ​is ​ similar ​to ​that ​exhibited ​by ​progenitor ​cells ​of ​the ​very ​ early ​embryo. ​As ​a ​result, ​pluripotent ​stem ​cells ​may ​provide ​ an ​inexhaustible ​supply ​of ​any ​differentiated ​cell ​type ​for ​ both ​in ​vitro ​studies ​of ​disease ​and ​regenerative ​medicine.

The ​discovery ​of ​reprogramming ​methods ​that ​rely ​on ​defined  ​transcription ​factors ​and ​their ​use ​in ​the ​derivation ​of ​ patient-specific ​iPS ​cell ​lines ​have ​greatly ​expanded ​the ​ potential ​utility ​of ​pluripotent ​cells. ​Patient-specific ​iPS ​ cells ​have ​already ​enabled ​in ​vitro ​studies ​of ​diseases ​ including ​spinal ​muscular ​atrophy, ​familial ​dysautonomia ​and ​ LEOPARD ​syndrome. ​Future ​applications ​of ​human ​pluripotent ​stem ​ cell ​lines ​could ​also ​include ​the ​study ​of ​common ​diseases ​ that ​arise ​as ​the ​result ​of ​complex ​interactions ​between ​a ​ patient’s ​genotype ​and ​their ​environment. ​Finally, ​pluripotent ​ cells ​will ​eventually ​serve ​as ​a ​renewable ​source ​of ​both ​ autologous ​cells ​and ​tissue ​for ​transplantation ​and ​regenerative  ​medicine.

Our inaugural symposium will feature world leaders who will describe their latest advances in stem cell biology and reprogramming.

Featured speakers:
Amander Clark
Stephen Dalton
Kevin Eggan
Jacob Hanna
Konrad Hochedlinger
Alexander Meissner
Tarjei Mikkelsen
Huck Hui Ng
Kathrin Plath
John Rinn
Joseph Wu
Ken Zaret
Thomas Zwaka

Registration and more information at broad.io/prs2015

stemcellsymposium_flyer_v2.pdf560 KB
See also: For the Public