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What we do

Our Research Centre deals with studying the properties of cells derived from placenta for their application in the regenerative medicine.

Publications

See the list of all CREM scientific publications since 2002

More info

Certifications

Eugenia Menni Research Centre aims to maintain high levels of quality in the scientific design and production as well as in staff training.
In order to maintain professional, organizational and design quality, the Research Centre has been inspired by Total Quality Management, aimed at Ongoing Quality Improvement.

The Research Centre is certified according to UNI EN ISO 9001:2015 for the following application field: “Experimental Research Laboratory in the Biomedical sector and for Regenerative Medicine” (IAF 34).

Since 2005 CREM has been recognized among the Research and Technology Transfer Centers (CRTT) by Lombardy Region.

Research lines

Our history …. to this day
Since its constitution in 2002, Eugenia Menni Research Centre (CREM) has focused its activity on the study of human placenta at term as an alternative resource of adult stem cells. CREM boasts of being among the pioneers of such research and has not only contributed to the foundation of this innovative research line in a frontier sector such as the regenerative medicine, but has also contributed to the founding of an international company, International Placenta Stem Cell Society (IPLASS, www.iplassociety.org). IPLASS is aimed at creating an international network of researchers to discuss jointly the results and to spread, promote, improve and let the basic and clinical research go ahead. In 2014, Professor Ornella Parolini, Director and Founder of CREM, was renamed for the second time, as sign of her commitment to enhance the knowledge of therapeutic potential of cells and placental derivatives.
To date, Eugenia Menni Research Centre of Fondazione Poliambulanza is recognized worldwide for its contributions within this line of research, thus continuing being a promoter.

Innovative approaches within the regenerative medicine by using cells isolated from human placenta
Within the research on new resources of adult stem cells, human placenta at term turns out to be particulary interesting, since placental tissues originate in the early stages of embryonic development and may contain cells with a still unripe phenotype; its immunological characteristics are therefore crucial in maintaining maternal-fetal tolerance. This aspect makes placenta cells an ideal candidate for utilization in cell therapy approaches. Being a waste material, the recovery of cells from placenta does not involve any invasive procedure for the donor and their utilization does not result in any ethical issues.
Our studies are focused on different activities aimed at identifying the potential of human placenta in the regenerative medicine.

I) In Vitro studies on placenta derivatives and cells’ properties
Among which:
i) Optimizing protocols regarding human placenta’s isolation, culture and cryopreservation, among which, for instance, the cell culture medium.
ii) Studying the basic characterisation of placental cells and derivatives, including, for example, the analysis of the placental tissues’ cellular subpopulations’ phenotype and cells’ capability of cellular differentiation;
iii) Studying the immunomodulating activity of placental cells and derivatives by evaluating their effect on different cell populations such as T lymphocytes, dendritic cells and macrophages and testing the soluble factors secreted;
iv) Estimating the placental cells and derivatives’ effect on the proliferation of cancer cells.

II) Therapy approaches by using placental cells and derivatives in pre-clinic models
These studies provide for the transplantation of amniotic cells and/or their derivatives, such as the media collected after culture of these cells, in pathological animal models in order to estimate their capacity to reduce the progress of the disease or even “repair” the damage induced by the disease itself.
Based on the characteristics reported by placental cells, different pathological models are being studied. For example, based on their immunomodulatory properties, placental cells are used as treatment in preclinical models of various inflammatory-related pathologies, such as pulmonary fibrosis, liver fibrosis and also autoimmune diseases.

European projects

Horizon 2020 - Placenta-expanded adherent stromal cells (PLX-PAD) as an innovative therapy for improving recovery and survival following hip fracture arthroplasty – HIPGEN, a multicenter phase III trial
HIPGEN is a project funded by European Union within Horizon 2020 program for the research and innovation in terms of customized medicine.
The aim of HIPGEN project is to develop the first cell therapy, in order to improve functional recovery after arthroplasty following hip fracture. The HIPGEN project, through an advanced multicenter study, proposes the use of a therapeutic, cell product derived from human placenta (PLX-PAD) for muscle regeneration after injury and intervention. In particular, aspects such as the improvement of muscle function, mobility and reduction of post-operative, inflammatory status in patients with hip fractures treated with PLX-PAD during arthroplasty surgery will be evaluated.
HIPGEN partners include the university hospitals Charité in Berlin and Odense in Denmark, the university of Oxford, ICON in Dublin, the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) and the non-EU partner Pluristem in Israel.

Eugenia Menni Research Centre of Fondazione Poliambulanza, with a strong experience in the study of the immunological properties of placenta cells, is constantly engaged in this European project by investigating the mechanisms through which PLX-PAD promote muscle regeneration by acting on patient's immune system cells.

Click here to get more information on Horizon 2020-Hipgen.

Horizon 2020 - International Network for Translating Research on Perinatal Derivatives into Therapeutic Approaches (SPRINT)

Horizon 2020 - International Network for Translating Research on Perinatal Derivatives into Therapeutic Approaches (SPRINT).
International Network for SPRINT is a COST project (Cooperation in Science and Technology) funded by the European Community (Horizon 2020 Program) that allows excellent researchers and clinicians in the field of innovation to cooperate and jointly develop their ideas in the scientific and technological sector.
SPRINT project, proposed and coordinated by Prof. Ornella Parolini, will bring together experts and clinicians in terms of academic, clinic and industrial knowledge, from over 15 international countries, in order to improve both the basic understanding as well as the potential of clinical translation of perinatal derivatives.
In the last ten years, different perinatal derivatives (such as placenta-isolated cells and factors secreted by these cells) have proven to be therapeutically effective. This research field, for which Eugenia Menni Research Centre of Fondazione Poliambulanza directed by Prof. Parolini is recognized worldwide, is growing rapidly and its importance is supported by recent clinical studies carried out in Europe and worldwide.
SPRINT will deal with different issues that need to be faced, in order to ensure optimal research results and the interpretation of clinical trial data, such as for example the achievement of a consent to nomenclature and optimal techniques for isolation, characterization and cryopreservation and expansion of perinatal stem cells.
It will also address more complex issues, such as the understanding of mechanisms and therapeutic actions produced by perinatal stem cells and the collection of basic research data useful for designing clinical trials. Furthermore, SPRINT will help to identify gaps in perinatal cells, so as to guide future research.
This project will develop a platform for the exchange of ideas, methods and training of young researchers, the results of which will allow to increase the impact of the research on public and private regulatory and decision-making bodies at community and national level.

Click here to get more information on Horizon 2020-Sprint.

SECRET PROJECT - Exploring the therapeutic potential of perinatal cell SECRETomes
The SECRET project - Exploring the therapeutic potential of perinatal cell SECRETomes – is an innovative doctoral network under the Horizon Europe programme - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action. This interdisciplinary project, which sees the synergistic convergence of various disciplines in the field of life sciences -cellular and molecular biology, tissue engineering, biocompatible materials science, and the development of advanced experimental preclinical models - aims to characterize and define innovative placenta cell-derived formulations that have a high therapeutic potential for the treatment of inflammatory onset diseases in the cardiac and neurological fields. This significant funding will enable the recruitment of 10 talented doctoral candidates in the next months, who will become the driving force behind this pioneering project.

The project is coordinated by Professor Ornella Parolini at Università Cattolica Sacro Cuore (UCSC) of Rome, and Centro di Ricerca E. Menni at Fondazione Poliambulanza, will host several PhD students during the 4-year project.

Other national and international contributors to the Doctoral Candidates training programme are academic excellences such as Università di Genova, Universitaetsklinikum Essen, Universiteit Antwerpen (Belgium), Universidade do Minho (Portugal), Academisch Medisch Centrum Bij De Universiteit Van Amsterdam (The Netherlands), Università degli Studi “Gabriele D’Annunzio” di Chieti-Pescara (Italy), research institutes such as Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (Switzerland), and Small-medium enterprises like Mimetas BV (The Netherlands) and Innovation Acta S.r.l (Italy).

Click here to get more information on SECRET project

Living Impact on Fetal Evolution: Shelter-Analyze-Validate-Empower Regulations (LIFESAVER)
Currently, the rate of preterm births is continuously increasing: in Europe approximately 75% of all neonatal deaths and 60% of all infant deaths occur in babies born prematurely. Building on the vision that every pregnant woman must live in the safest possible environment, the LIFESAVER project will create a new in vitro system, combined with a digital in silico replicate, capable of simulating prenatal conditions at the uterus-placenta interface. The system is based on the integrated use of innovative technologies that combines in silico and in vitro systems in order to evaluate the possible transport of drugs and pollutants at the uterus-placenta interface, allowing for the screening of potentially dangerous chemicals and pharmaceuticals thus reducing the need for preclinical, clinical and animal testing.
The LIFESAVER project aims to develop a model that reliably tests the intrinsic ability of chemical substances and/or pharmacological compounds to cross the placenta, in order to predict the possible exposure to which the unborn child will be subject during pregnancy.
The Centro di Ricerca Eugenia Menni of the Fondazione Poliambulanza Hospital has a profound and long-standing knowledge of the human term placenta and will actively participate in this European project by providing information on the structure of the human placenta and on the different cell types that comprise the human placenta.
The LIFESAVER project is funded by the European Union under the Horizon 2020 program for research and innovation in the field of Societal Challenges.

Click here for more information on LIFESAVER