Roberto Gramignoli, Italy

Roberto Gramignoli is working as an Associate Professor at Karolinska Institutet (Sweden), and was recently appointed as Head of Unit for Cell Therapies at the IRCCS Gaslini Institute in Genoa (Italy). He specialized in Medical Genetics (Univ. of Milan, Italy) and Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (Univ of Granada/ Andalusian Network, Spain), and has a PhD in Molecular and Translational Medicine (Univ. of Milan-Bicocca, Italy). During his post-graduate studies at the University of Pittsburgh (PA-USA), he identified and proposed new solutions for roadblocks limiting clinical Hepatocyte Transplantation. Due to the paucity of human hepatocytes, he investigated alternative sources, such as iPS and placental stem cells. Working with his Mentor, prof Strom, they became the first group to get approval for isolation and clinical infusion of human hepatocytes and amniotic epithelial stem cells (AEC). Over the past years, Roberto has accumulated evidence on the potential of AEC in several models of congenital liver diseases and as supporting therapy in chronic and acute conditions in several organs. Such supportive results and protected IP paved the way to a startup company he serves as a founder: Tandem Biotherapeutics, Inc. (Boston, MA-USA). Based on safety and efficacy, in addition to AEC immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects, he is in the process of starting phase I/IIa clinical trials and creating the first placenta stem cell bank