This event will cover a vast range of topics, regarding "How stem cells therapies are reshaping medical and research pathways?". This conference will be the occasion to organise two parallel workshops, on "Legal classifications of cell products" and "Values and representations around stem cells", in order to draw up some preliminary recommendations.

Conference overview

The European EUCelLEX Project (FP7- Cell-based regenerative medicine: new challenges for EU legislation and governance) consists in a full examination of the application of the European rules regarding cell banks together with current practices in respect of the therapeutic use of human cells in some European countries.

This project is coordinated by Inserm and involves nine partners based in seven European countries and Canada:

• Inserm UMR1027(coordinator), and Biobanques (Inserm US013) France: http://www.inserm.fr/
• Leibniz University, Germany: http://www.uni-hannover.de/en/index.php 
• Central European University, Hungary: http://www.ceu.hu/
• Legal Pathway, Netherlands
• Oxford University, England: http://www.oP.ac.uk/
• Medical University of Graz, Austria: http://www.meduni-graz.at/en/
• National Political Sciences Foundation, France: http://www.sciencespo.fr/
• KU Leuven, Belgium: http://www.kuleuven.be/english/
• McGill University, Canada: http://www.mcgill.ca/fr

This project aims at building and at organising a Task force on Stem Cells in Europe for collecting facts and figures to assess the current legislation on the therapeutic use of cells, and to bridge it with research infrastructure capacity building. This International Conference represents the starting point to build our Task force and to propose preliminary recommendations to the European Commission.

The EUCelLEX first International Conference of consensus will cover a vast range of topics, related to “How stem cells therapies are reshaping medical & research pathways?”

This conference will be the occasion to organise two parallel workshops, on “Legal classifications of cell products” and “Values and representations around stem cells”, in order to draw up some preliminary recommendations.

Preliminary programme

Monday, 30 March 2015

12:30 – 13:30. Inscription

13:30 – 15:00. Plenary session

• Institutional welcome.
• Welcome & presentation of the EUCelLEX project. Emmanuelle RIAL-SEBBAG (Inserm U1027 – UPS Toulouse 3).
• Latest scientific discoveries and trends: actual state of the art on cellular therapies. Luc SENSEBE (STROMALab, UMR5273 CNRS/EFS/UPS – INSERM U1031 Toulouse).
• Discussion.

15:30 – 17:30. Plenary session

• International Stem Cell policy: Quo Vadis. Bartha Maria KNOPPERS (CRDP – Université  de Montréal).
• Challenges in translational research. Paolo BIANCO (University of Roma "La Sapienza").
• Discussion.

Tuesday, 31 March 2015

9:00 – 12:30. Parallel Workshops

• WS 1: Legal classifications of cell products

Moderator: Nils HOPPE (Leibniz Universitaet Hannover)

Expert Observer: Nicolas FERRY (ANSM France)

Key words:

• Cell products categorization;
• Hospital exception;
• Status of the donor;
• Commercial issues;
• Public/private partnerships;
• Harmonisation of European legal standards;
• Risks and responsabilities; 
• Informed consent and capacity to consent;
• Stem cell tourism.

• WS 2: Values and representations around stem cells

Moderator: Alessandro BLASIMME (Inserm U1027 – UPS Toulouse 3

Expert Observer: Ingrid METZLER (University of Vienna)

Key words:

• European biobanks policy & governance;
• Moral status of human embryos and other types of cells;
• Political influences on stem cell research;
• Ethical issues of imported bodily material;
• Public perceptions on stem cell research and regenerative medicine;
• Clinical research ethics in regenerative medicine;
• Ethics of unproven therapies;
• Patients' activism and advanced therapies;
• Commercial and IP aspects in regenerative medicine;
• Ethics of compassionate use and hospital exemption of advanced therapies

13:30 – 16:30. Round Table

• Outputs from the WS 1 & 2
• Discussion

Moderator: Anne CAMBON-THOMSEN (Inserm U1027 – UPS Toulouse 3)

Expert: Joana NAMORADO (DG Research & Innovation, European Commission) (to be confirmed)

16:30 – 17:30. Conclusions.

• Tim CAULFIELD (University of Alberta)

Conference registration

Conference attendance is free but requires registration (sessions limited to 100 people). Registration includes attendance to all sessions, to the conference material, to lunch and refreshments.

Please register your details online.

Until March 1, 2015 : conference registration