• Elucidating the molecular mechanisms that underlie the maintenance of the integrity of the hPSC
  genome, and how disruption of these mechanisms can lead to undesired genetic changes
• We are also studying the functional effects of genetic changes on the behavior of hPSCs in vitro.
• Demonstrating that the dominance of variant hPSCs in mosaic cultures is enhanced through
  competitive interactions resulting in elimination of wild-type cells, akin to the cell competition
  behavior described in other cell and developmental models.
• Understanding of the causes and consequences of genetic changes in hPSCs will help inform
  approaches to minimise their occurrence in hPSC cultures destined for clinical or research use.

Dr Ivana Barbaric, Centre for Stem Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of
Sheffield, UK

Cecilia Gotherstrom, Research Group leader, Assoc Prof. in Stem Cell Science, Karolinska Institute

• The experimental evidences strongly suggest that embryonic stem (ES) cell lines can be created from
  human blastocyst-stage embryos and stimulated to develop into practically all types of cells found in
  the body.
• Cellular treatments produced from Stem cells have attracted fresh interest. The potential utility of
  Stem cells for gene therapy, tissue engineering, and the treatment of a wide spectrum of currently
  untreatable diseases is simply too vital to ignore; however, further improvements in our
  understanding of the basic
  biology of ES cells are required to deliver these forms of therapy in a safe and efficient manner.
• In this meeting, I’ll share my research using ES cells and how they can be used to treat
  hematopoietic and neurodegenerative disorders.

Dr. Anand Srivastava, Chairman and Co-founder, Global Institute of Stem Cell Therapy and
Research