Organizers of 2014 World Stem Cell Summit Announced

SAN ANTONIO, Texas, May 1, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Genetics Policy Institute (GPI) announced four prestigious "Organizing Partners" of the 10th annual World Stem Cell Summit. The 2014 Summit will be held December 3-5, 2014, at the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter in San Antonio, Texas.

GPI, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Mayo Clinic, Kyoto University Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS) and BioBridge Global will organize the 10th annual meeting of the global stem cell community, shaping the next year of progress in regenerative medicine. The annual event assembles the most prominent figures in the field to share research, build collaborations and find solutions to funding and commercialization challenges.

The co-chairs of the event will include Bernard Siegel (GPI), Dr. William L. Henrich (UT Health Science Center), Dr. Andre Terzic (Mayo Clinic), Professor Norio Nakatsuji (Kyoto University's iCeMS) and Linda Myers (BioBridge Global). Additional Organizers and co-chairs will be announced in the next few weeks.

The interdisciplinary World Stem Cell Summit attracts researchers, industry leaders, clinicians, hospital administrators, regulators, philanthropists, economic development officers, journalists, lawyers and insurers along with the patients who arguably have the most invested in new treatments and cures. Sessions will focus on the acceleration of stem cell science and translation to clinical trials and medical therapies for severe injury and disease, including regeneration of tissues, organs and spinal cords, cancer, diabetes, neurological diseases, and heart disease.

More than 200 speakers and panelists will discuss the latest scientific discoveries, business models, translational issues, legal and regulatory solutions, and best practices. The event is expected to attract more than 1,500 attendees from 40 nations, with 200 sponsors, media partners and endorsing organizations. In addition to panels and keynote addresses, the Summit includes an exhibition hall, symposiums, networking receptions, the GPI Stem Cell Action Awards Dinner, a competitive Poster Forum, "Conversations with Experts Luncheon," and more.

Bernard Siegel, founder of the Summit and executive director of the Genetics Policy Institute said, "The World Stem Cell Summit creates a 360-degree view and societal context for this growing field. The Summit was established to break down barriers, and now in our 10th year, we are closing in on our common goal of delivering lifesaving cures as soon as possible. There are many roadblocks that require integrated solutions, and that's why the Summit provides a forum for interdisciplinary dialogue. We are thrilled to bring the meeting to San Antonio, which offers a beautiful and historic setting for networking as well as a thriving healthcare and bioscience community."

"The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio is committed to stem cell research, including applications to oral health, aging, neuroscience, diabetes and cancer. The 2014 World Stem Cell Summit is an opportunity to showcase our work on the global stage and establish new connections with national and international partners," Dr. William L. Henrich, President of The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, said. "The stem cell and regenerative medicine field has the potential to transform medicine, but also to transform the Texas economy. We look forward to welcoming the Summit to our community, San Antonio."

Dr. Andre Terzic, Director of the Center for Regenerative Medicine, Mayo Clinic said, "Mayo Clinic has embraced regenerative medicine as a strategic investment in the future of healthcare. To this end, the Mayo Clinic Center for Regenerative Medicine has been established as a catalyst to advance new knowledge on disease causes and cures into informed delivery of quality care. The World Stem Cell Summit brings together the regenerative medicine community, and sets the stage for global collaboration. Our team at Mayo Clinic is honored to lead it as an organizer again this year."

"The World Stem Cell Summit has become a must-attend event for Japan's top researchers. In fact, our participation again as a co-organizer is a product of the high-level international connections we have forged at the Summit. Importantly, this meeting serves as a platform enabling iCeMS to showcase its recent research achievements, such as the development of a novel three dimensional culture system, to help meet the growing demand of quality human pluripotent stem cells needed for drug discovery and regenerative medicine. I am very honored to serve as co-chair of the World Stem Cell Summit again," said Professor Norio Nakatsuji, Founding Director of Kyoto University's iCeMS.

Linda Myers, CEO of BioBridge Global, stated, "BioBridge Global is proud to be an Organizing Partner for the World Stem Cell Summit. We offer diverse services in regenerative medicine, blood banking and biological testing. GenCure, our subsidiary, houses several centers that provide products used in regenerative medicine treatment and research, including cellular therapies, umbilical cord blood and tissue services. We are committed to support groundbreaking research, address unmet clinical needs and enable the development and commercialization of novel biotechnology products. The World Stem Cell Summit will provide us with an unmatched chance to promote our newly expanded facilities in San Antonio to a global audience."

ABOUT WORLD STEM CELL SUMMIT 2014: The World Stem Cell Summit is the flagship meeting of the international stem cell community. The Summit aims to accelerate the discovery and development of lifesaving cures and therapies, bringing global stakeholders together to solve global challenges. The 2014 World Stem Cell Summit will be held December 3-5, 2014, at the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter in San Antonio, Texas. To learn about sponsorship opportunities, registration and more, visit www.worldstemcellsummit.com and follow @WSCSummit on Twitter.

ABOUT BIOBRIDGE GLOBAL: BioBridge Global (BBG) is a nonprofit company that oversees and supports the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center, QualTex Laboratories, GenCure, and The Blood and Tissue Center Foundation. BioBridge Global provides life-saving connections to meet critical needs in the health care industry. For more information, visit www.biobridgeglobal.org.

ABOUT GENETICS POLICY INSTITUTE: About Genetics Policy Institute (GPI): GPI is a 501c3 nonprofit foundation with the mission to promote stem cell research and its application in medicine to develop cures. GPI pursues this mission through production of its flagship annual World Stem Cell Summit, publication of the annual World Stem Cell Report, Stem Cell Action Awards, special projects, speaking engagements, teaching initiatives and strategic collaborations. For more information, visit www.genpol.org.

ABOUT ICEMS: The Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS) at Kyoto University in Japan aims to advance the integration of cell and material sciences — both traditionally strong fields for the university — in a uniquely innovative global research environment. The iCeMS combines the biosciences, chemistry, materials science, and physics to create materials for mesoscopic cell control and cell-inspired materials. Such developments hold the promise of significant advances in medicine, pharmaceutical studies, the environment, and industry. For more information visit www.icems.kyoto-u.ac.jp/.

ABOUT MAYO CLINIC: Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit worldwide leader in medical care, research and education for people from all walks of life. Doctors from every medical specialty work together to care for patients, joined by common systems and a philosophy of "the needs of the patient come first." Efforts within the Center for Regenerative Medicine, which builds on Mayo Clinic's extensive research resources and clinical practice, span the full spectrum of discovery science, translation and clinical application. Using regenerative medicine strategies, physicians and scientists are creating new therapies that will lead to innovative and definitive solutions for patients. For more information, visit MayoClinic.com or http://mayoresearch.mayo.edu/regenerative-medicine/.

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER AT SAN ANTONIO: The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, one of the country's leading health sciences universities, ranks in the top 3 percent of all institutions worldwide receiving National Institutes of Health funding. The university's schools of medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions and graduate biomedical sciences have produced more than 29,000 graduates. The $765 million operating budget supports eight campuses in San Antonio, Laredo, Harlingen and Edinburg. For more information on the many ways "We make lives better®," visit www.uthscsa.edu.