The Stem Cell Research Laboratory is dedicated to the study of adult stem cell biology from different origin.

Currently, ongoing projects concern:

a) mesenchymal stromal/stem cells: investigation of differentiation potential and role in regenerative medicine, inflammation, transplant-related immune reactions following allogeneic bone marrow transplantation, tumor-specific immune responses and stromal support to cancer development through cell contact, soluble molecules and extracellular vesicles

b) hematopoietic stem cells: bone marrow hematopoietic stem cell niche, in vitro expansion and in vivo transplantation

c) leukemia and cancer stem cells: study of the mechanisms of leukemia self-renewal and stromal support to neoplastic growth; monitoring of the development of minimal residual clones in hematological malignancies; epithelial-mesenchymal and mesenchymal-epithelial transition in cancer development

d) adaptive immune cell therapy: clinical and pre-clinical study of the mechanisms of efficacy of CAR T cells and CIK cells in hematological malignancies


Completed projects was about:

a) neural stem cells: study of in vivo niches of neurogenesis

b) cardiac and lung stem cells: study of the mechanisms of regeneration in infarcted myocardium and degenerative pulmonary diseases

c) epithelial stem cells: study of the mechanism of wound healing and epithelial regeneration (skin and cornea).