| Stefano Pluchino University of Cambridge, UK |
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| Biography | ||
Recent evidence from our own laboratory indicates that the systemic injection of somatic neural stem/precursor cells (NPCs) very efficiently protect the CNS from the chronic degeneration induced by inflammation both in small rodents as well as in non-human primates affected by experimental MS, cerebral ischemic stroke, or contusion spinal cord injury (stem cell therapeutic plasticity). We are now exploring the cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating the therapeutic plasticity of stem cells in pre-clinical models of complex CNS diseases such as multiple sclerosis, and spinal cord injury. We are devoting special attention to the different modalities by which NPCs engage programs of horizontal cell-to-cell communication with cells in the microenvironment. Our major aim is to look into innate (physiological) mechanisms with the visionary focus of translating the knowledge of basal (vs reactive) stem cell functions into innovative high clinical impact therapeutics. |
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| Research Interest | ||
Somatic neural stem cells Pluripotent stem cells Inflammation Secreted membrane vesicles Small regulatory RNAs |
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