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Professor Murphy presents AutoCRAT at Galway Immunology Research Day

AutoCRAT Coordinator Professor Mary Murphy presented the AutoCRAT project and an update on our progress at the recent University of Galway immunology research day, on April 28th, 2023. Mary’s talk title was “Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (iMSCs) and immunomodulation.”

The first annual Curam Day of Immunology was held on campus and was hosted by Prof. Thomas Ritter and Dr Aideen Ryan. Find the meeting programme here.

Professor Murphy presents AutoCRAT at Galway Immunology Research Day2023-05-04T11:29:44+00:00

AutoCRAT research presented at TERMIS 2023, Manchester, UK

University of Galway and University of Genoa researchers took to the international stage at TERMIS 2023 to present their recent findings. The 4-day meeting took place in Manchester, UK from March 28th- 31st.

PhD candidate Jason Hunt (U of Galway) gave a talk on the 28th titled: Upscaling Production of hiMSC in a Bioreactor format. Also, on the 28th, Prof. Chiara Gentili facilitated a talk titled: Paracrine functionalities of hiMSCs cultured in clinical grade system: in vitro biological validation of hiMSC-derived EVs for the treatment of osteoarthritis.

PhD student Dale Creaven (U of Galway) presented a poster on March 30th. Its title was: Assessment of the therapeutic potential of induced pluripotent stem cell-derived mesenchymal stromal cells. The poster was 1 of 23 selected posters for the Student and Young Investigator poster presentation award out of a total 470 posters.

Find the TERMIS 2023 programme of talks here. The TERMIS EU conference is the leading event for the dissemination of the latest research in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, offering researchers, clinicians and industry an ideal opportunity to present and discuss their most recent findings, developments and challenges in the field.

Jason Hunt at TERMIS 2023 in Manchester, UK

AutoCRAT research presented at TERMIS 2023, Manchester, UK2023-04-03T08:50:37+00:00

AutoCRAT helps enhance Erasmus+ experiences for young people

Pintail Limited‘s Danielle Nicholson and Universitaetsklinikum Essen‘s Dr Tobias Tertel are participating in the knowledge exchange activities of an EU-funded Erasmus+ project called GenEthics – Discussing the Controversial Bioethical Issue of Stem Cell Research as an Important Issue of our Time in the European Context, grant number 2020-1-DE03-KA229-077566_1.

Three schools are involved in GenEthics: Maria-Wächtler-Gymnasium in Essen, Germany, Coleguil National Mircea Cel Batran in Constanta, Romania, and Alviksskolan in Stockholm, Sweden. The project involves face-to-face meetings, lab tours, experiments, science fairs and presentations about stem cells and bioethics. Learn more about the project here.
Danielle facilitated an online presentation for the school group in Germany on March 27th, 2023. Here, she introduced the students (14-18 years of age) to the types of stem cells, where they are found, why they are medically interesting, and some of the ethical issues arising. There were 28 students and 8 teachers in attendance. She described  AutoCRAT and how the project researchers are addressing several key bottlenecks in the development of cell and cell-based treatments for osteoarthritis. There was time for questions and answers. The students were concerned with the costs- both the research and the eventual cost of cell therapies.
On March 29th, the students will visit the labs at Universitaetsklinikum Essen to do hands-on experiments- cell culture microscopy, cell culture trypsination and fluorescent microscope. Tobias will describe and demonstrate the bioreactor used in AutoCRAT. The activities at UK Essen are organized by Dr Verena Börger.
The aim of the GenEthics project is to enable young people to learn more about science and discuss different European values, views and ethical issues regarding the respective topics. This will also enable them to build bridges and develop into responsible European citizens who are engaged in current scientific topics with shared views which are enlarged by fruitful discussions to form new and better results.
AutoCRAT helps enhance Erasmus+ experiences for young people2023-03-28T08:12:46+00:00

‘Automating autologous and allogeneic cell therapies’ at the Advanced Therapy Congress

Laura Herbst of Fraunhofer IPT delivered a talk at the Advanced Therapy Congress describing their role and work within the AutoCRAT and AutoSTEM projects.  Laura’s talk was titled “Automating autologous and allogeneic cell therapies.” The meeting was held on March 14th and 15th, 2023 in London, UK.

The Advanced Therapies Congress is Europe’s largest cell and gene therapy conference and exhibition, welcoming 2,000 attendees, 100 exhibitors, 200 innovative young start-ups and 300 speakers from across the entire value chain of cell and gene therapy development; including forward-thinking pharma companies, researchers, clinicians, academics, HTAs, payers and regulators.

 

‘Automating autologous and allogeneic cell therapies’ at the Advanced Therapy Congress2023-03-28T09:34:59+00:00

AutoCRAT at OARSI 2023 in Denver, US

ESR Dale Creaven at OARSI 2023

University of Galway PhD candidates Jason Hunt and Dale Creaven presented posters at the 2023 Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) World Congress in Denver, Colorado. The meeting was held on March 17-20, 2023.

Jason’s poster was titled: Upscaling Manufacturing of Human Induced Pluripotent-derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells in a 1-L Bioreactor System

Dale’s poster was titled: In vitro Assessment of the Therapeutic Potential of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (iMSCs)

OARSI is the premier international organization for scientists and healthcare professionals focused on the prevention and treatment of osteoarthritis.  More than 1200 people from 40 countries attended the high-profile conference.

Jason Hunt at OARSI 2023

AutoCRAT at OARSI 2023 in Denver, US2023-03-22T10:49:52+00:00

Collaborative AutoCRAT publication in Theranostics

Congratulations to the team of AutoCRAT researchers/authors at the University of Genoa and the University of Galway and their collaborators for the open-access publication of “Xeno-free cultured mesenchymal stromal cells release extracellular vesicles with a “therapeutic” miRNA cargo ameliorating cartilage inflammation in vitro” in the journal Theranostics on March 5th, 2023.

 

Citation:  Palamà, M.E.F., Coco, S., Shaw, G.M., Reverberi, D., Ghelardoni, M., Ostano, P., Chiorino, G., Sercia, L., Persano, L., Gagliani, M.C., Cortese, K., Pisignano, D., Murphy, J.M., Gentili, C. (2023). Xeno-free cultured mesenchymal stromal cells release extracellular vesicles with a “therapeutic” miRNA cargo ameliorating cartilage inflammation in vitro. Theranostics, 13(5), 1470-1489. https://doi.org/10.7150/thno.77597.

Download the PDF here.

Collaborative AutoCRAT publication in Theranostics2023-03-13T12:28:59+00:00

AutoCRAT partners take part in UniStem Day 2023

On March 10th, AutoCRAT partners at the University of Galway and Pintail Limited in Ireland, and, Fraunhofer Institute of Production Technology IPT and University Hospital Essen in Germany will take part in UniStem DAY 2023.

UniStem Day is a one-day meeting organized for secondary school students since 2009. This event, solely dedicated to the dissemination and outreach of stem cell science and research, provides an opportunity to foster learning, discovery and debate on the themes of knowledge and innovation starting from stem cell research. The event showcases cutting-edge research, paints a picture of the daily work of a scientist, and explores the mechanisms behind scientific breakthroughs, including cultural expectations. By offering lessons, debates, visits to the laboratories and recreational moments, the students engage with the concepts and methodologies involved in stem cell research. Furthermore, they will gain an appreciation for science and how it can be fun and build personal character and relationships based on evidence, perseverance and integrity. As with previous years, UNISTEM DAY 2023 will bring together Universities and High Schools from all over the world by involving 87 Universities and Research Institutes in Australia, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Serbia, Spain, Sweden and The Netherlands, United Kingdom.

UniStem is the Centre for Stem Cell Research of the University of Milan founded in 2006 by Profs. E. Cattaneo, G. Cossu, F. Gandolfi and Y. Torrente (unistem.it). The UNISTEM DAY 2023 event is one of many UniStem activities on stem cell research divulgation and this year it celebrates the 15th annual day dedicated to secondary school students and can boast being the largest public event on stem cell research in Europe.

See the University of Galway programme here.

 

 

AutoCRAT partners take part in UniStem Day 20232023-03-10T08:11:50+00:00

AutoCRAT in Genoa

The AutoCRAT team gathered in Genoa, Italy on the 2nd and 3rd of February 2023 for our latest plenary meeting.

We discussed recent results and plans for the project in the beautiful, Universita Degli Studi di Genova buildings in the historic heart of the city. Our key studies into the therapeutic effect of AutoCRAT products are taking shape and the build of the AutoCRAT platform continues in Aachen.

Sincere thanks to the team from UniGe who hosted the meeting and facilitated some productive discussions. We are looking forward already to the next in-person meeting in late Summer/Autumn 2023.

 

AutoCRAT in Genoa2023-02-10T16:06:06+00:00

Prof. Barry, U of Galway delivers an array of talks covering cell therapies for OA

AutoCRAT PI Professor Frank Barry at the University of Galway has been busy sharing details of cell therapy for OA research and results.

In the Arthritis Ireland Inflammation Nation podcast episode titled “New Horizons for Osteoarthritis Patients,” Prof. Barry discusses his research and the human trial resulting from the ADIPOA-2 project, a precursor to AutoCRAT. Read the transcript of the podcast here. The podcast aired on January 25th, 2023.

 

On September 22nd, 2022, Professor Barry presented and participated in a high-profile online meeting, NIAMS Roundtable on Cartilage Research and Restoration in Knee Osteoarthritis. Frank’s talk was titled “MSC Therapy for Osteoarthritis: Status” and can be viewed here (3:41:27).

At the Midwest Conference on Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine online meeting, Prof. Barry delivered a talk “MSC Therapy for Osteoarthritis: Status.” AutoCRAT was acknowledged and described. The meeting was organised by the Kansas University Area Health Education Center (KU AHEC). You can watch the video here, (5:27:14).

 

 

Prof. Barry, U of Galway delivers an array of talks covering cell therapies for OA2023-02-10T11:37:15+00:00

PhD candidate Jason Hunt presents his work in AutoCRAT at U of Galway seminar

On January 10th, 2023, Jason Hunt, a PhD student in the Regenerative Medicine institute at the University of Galway presented AutoCRAT and a progress update on his research to approximately twenty lab colleagues. The talk was titled ‘Automated Manufacturing and Why it is Needed’.

In the weeks ahead Jason will be busy preparing presentations for two upcoming conferences; the OARSI conference and TERMIS where he will be showcasing his work on upscaling iMSC manufacturing as part of the AutoCRAT project!

PhD candidate Jason Hunt presents his work in AutoCRAT at U of Galway seminar2023-01-18T09:55:57+00:00

PI Prof. Dr Bernd Giebel speaks with ISCT about his research with MSC-EVs

Prof. Dr Bernd Giebel of Universitaetsklinikum Essen recently sat down with Ashley Krull of the International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy for a spotlight interview. Here, they discuss the potential of MSC-EV therapeutics and many other topics.

“New Year, New Promise for EVs”

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PI Prof. Dr Bernd Giebel speaks with ISCT about his research with MSC-EVs2023-01-12T15:01:53+00:00

New AutoCRAT dissemination materials

With input from all partnering groups, Pintail Limited has led on the design of a set of informational postcards about the AutoCRAT project. They are available in the five European languages of our partners. They are ready for print and distribution as appropriate public engagement opportunities arise.

You can find them with our dissemination materials on our Project Materials page.

 

New AutoCRAT dissemination materials2022-12-15T08:48:58+00:00

Congratulations to our partners at Fraunhofer IPT for the latest AutoCRAT publication in the journal Processes

“Additively Manufactured Robot Gripper Blades for Automated Cell Production Processes”, a journal article prepared by our partners at Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology (IPT) was published in the MDPI’s Processes on October 14th, 2022.

Congratulations to researcher-authors Ferdinand Biermann, Stefan Gräfe, Thomas Bergs and Robert H. Schmitt!

Citation: Biermann, F.; Gräfe, S.; Bergs, T.; Schmitt, R.H. Additively Manufactured Robot Gripper Blades for Automated Cell Production Processes. Processes 2022, 10, 2080. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10102080

Download the open-access paper here.

Congratulations to our partners at Fraunhofer IPT for the latest AutoCRAT publication in the journal Processes2022-10-17T15:14:29+00:00

October 12th, Stem Cell Awareness and World Arthritis Day 2022

We banded together with two sister projects working with MSCs, PremStem and HealIKick to celebrate our PIs’ involvement in the field for Stem Cell Awareness Day 2002 which falls today, October 12th. We shared a GIF via Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

In addition, we celebrated World Arthritis Day #WAD2022 by creating a short video to showcase what our PIs and researchers find exciting about the project and their work with stem cells.

October 12th, Stem Cell Awareness and World Arthritis Day 20222022-10-12T11:34:54+00:00

“Osteoarthritis cure is the goal for EU-funded AutoCRAT project,” a HorizonEurope.ie feature

AutoCRAT is highlighted in a recent “Success Story” prepared by writers at Enterprise Ireland (https://www.enterprise-ireland.com/en/). The article published online showcases the collaboration between our European partners and their impactful history in the cell therapy field.

Read the piece published on September 20th, 2022 here.

Enterprise Ireland is the Irish government organisation responsible for the development and growth of Irish enterprises in world markets. They work in partnership with Irish enterprises to help them start, grow, innovate and win export sales in global markets. In this way, they support sustainable economic growth, regional development and secure employment. Find detailed information on Enterprise Ireland’s activities, strategy and performance in their Reports and Publications.

“Osteoarthritis cure is the goal for EU-funded AutoCRAT project,” a HorizonEurope.ie feature2022-09-23T12:20:03+00:00

Beckman Coulter Life Sciences acquires Valitacell

Congratulations to our partners at Valitacell!

Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, a global leader in laboratory automation and innovation, announces it has acquired ValitaCell Ltd. (“ValitaCell”), the biotechnology company that creates pioneering analytical products and technologies for the biopharmaceutical industry.

The announcement was made today, September 13th, 2022.

“ValitaCell has a proven record for delivering innovative products and we are excited to build upon our successful partnership with Beckman Coulter Life Sciences,” said Dr Jerry Clifford, Co-Founder and CEO of ValitaCell. “We never take for granted what our advancements can do for patients while also reducing manual workflow burdens on laboratory staff. Together with Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, we will advance our shared ambition to accelerate and enable the sustainable manufacture of innovative biological medicines to bring them to market faster.”

Read the official press release here.

Beckman Coulter Life Sciences acquires Valitacell2022-09-13T14:09:17+00:00

AutoCRAT collaborative publication in Stem Cell Research & Therapy

Congratulations to authors Yolande F. M. Ramos,  Tobias Tertel,  Georgina Shaw,  Simon Staubach, Rodrigo Coutinho de Almeida, Eka Suchiman, Thomas B. Kuipers, Hailiang Mei, Frank Barry, Mary Murphy, Bernd Giebel and Ingrid Meulenbelt! The inter-institutional team of researchers from the LUMC, NUI Galway and Universitaetklinikum Hospital Essen have published the study entitled: Characterizing the secretome of licensed hiPSC-derived MSCs in the journal Stem Cell Research & Therapy on September 2nd, 2022.

Read the open access paper here.

Citation for this paper: Ramos, Y.F.M., Tertel, T., Shaw, G. et al. Characterizing the secretome of licensed hiPSC-derived MSCs. Stem Cell Res Ther 13, 434 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13287-022-03117-2

 

 

AutoCRAT collaborative publication in Stem Cell Research & Therapy2022-09-08T12:09:37+00:00

Welcome Dr Tanja Kutzner, postdoc at the Universitaetsklinikum Essen

Dr Tanja Kutzner

Introducing Dr Tanja Kutzner, a postdoc in the lab of Prof. Dr Bernd Giebel at the University Medicine Essen. Tanja joined the AutoCRAT project recently and attended the June plenary meeting hosted by the University of Gothenburg. Tanja kindly provided a short bio below. Welcome aboard!

Since May 2022 I have been working in my second postdoc position as part of Bernd Giebel´s lab at the University Hospital of Essen and I am also a team member of AutoCRAT. Having the opportunity to work with an international team of experts, and investigate the therapeutic potential of specific cell types and their EVs to develop new therapeutic options to treat patients makes the AutoCRAT project especially interesting for me. Within the AutoCRAT team, I am concentrating on the development and optimization of downstream processes for EVs.

I am born in Bielefeld a city in the west of Germany. I studied molecular biotechnology at the University of Bielefeld, where I also completed my diploma and my PhD thesis. My diploma thesis was focused on establishing and optimizing purification protocols for a novel human serpin followed by its characterization. In my PhD thesis, I concentrated on the isolation, characterization and phylogenetic comparison of serpins.

For my first postdoctoral position, I moved to Munich and worked at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University. During this time, I was dealing with the implementation, optimization and standardization of upstream- and downstream processing procedures mainly for recombinant proteins produced in different organisms.

I like to spend my free time in nature and with my family and friends. I also love to go biking or swimming and read a good crime novel. Some of my favorite authors are Simon Beckett, Alex Kava, Nele Neuhaus and Sebastian Fitzek.

Welcome Dr Tanja Kutzner, postdoc at the Universitaetsklinikum Essen2022-07-13T09:51:07+00:00

Gothenburg welcomes AutoCRAT!

The AutoCRAT consortium met up in the Wallenberg Conference Centre at the University of Gothenburg on the 16th and 17th of June, 2022. Partners presented recent work and results and made plans for the next 6 months. In particular, the team discussed expected results from initial preclinical studies due in the coming weeks. These initial results will help us design the next preclinical studies to be undertaken in the project. At the end of the meeting, partners were able to undertake a tour of the facilities on site.

We were very pleased to meet in person once again. This enabled fruitful, impromptu discussions over shared meals and during the breaks throughout the meeting.

Many thanks to the team at UGOT, our gracious hosts, who made it such a worthwhile and enjoyable meeting!

Gothenburg welcomes AutoCRAT!2022-06-22T08:18:25+00:00

AutoCRAT logo

EU flagThis project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 874671. The material presented and views expressed here are the responsibility of the author(s) only. The EU Commission takes no responsibility for any use made of the information set out.

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