05/08/2008 08:54 AM

Any way to find out what doctors attended this conference?

--- In stemcellsafety@yahoogroups.com, "Kirshner Ross-Vaden"
<kirsh@...> wrote:
>
>
>
> China Wide Stem Cell Forum Showcases Cutting Edge Global Research,
Focuses
> on New Findings for iPS Cells
>
> Taizhou, Jiangsu Province, CHINA, July 23, 2008 - Over 300 of
China's top
> stem cell biologists and researchers from around the globe shared
their
> latest results and held China's first ever symposium on advanced
induced
> pluripotent stem (iPS) cell research during the just concluded the
first
> annual 2008 China Stem Cell Stem Cell Technology Forum at the China
Medical
> City complex in Taizhou, China. At the Forum, which was chaired by
Dr. Sean
> Hu, Chairman of Beike Biotechnology Co., Ltd., (www.beikebiotech.com
> <http://www.beikebiotech.com/> ) some of the world's most respected
> researchers presented their latest laboratory findings and clinical
trial
> results in using stem cells to treat common ailments like heart
disease and
> nervous system diseases such as cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury,
muscular
> dystrophy, and optic nerve hypoplasia (ONH). Biologists attending
the
> Mandarin Chinese language Forum came from leading research centers
in nearly
> all of China's major cities, and as far away as the United States,
Canada,
> India, Australia, and Malaysia.
>
> A special symposium on Advanced iPS Cell Technology, convened as
part of the
> Forum, brought together for the first time over a dozen scientists
involved
> in cutting edge stem cell research at some of America and China's
most
> respected science universities and research labs. A potential
substitute for
> embryonic stem cells, genetically programmable iPS cells are widely
believed
> to be at the very forefront of the field's most exciting research
frontier
> as iPS cells theoretically could deliver the greatest therapeutic
benefit.
> Since iPS cells can be produced from the building blocks in any
individual's
> own body, they bring the potential that people may someday be able
to heal a
> range of sicknesses from tissue cells they have banked themselves.
At the
> symposium, renowned stem cell scientists like Dr. Hu Jifan of the
Palo Alto
> VA Health Care System under the Stanford University Medical School,
Dr.
> Xiang Peng of Sun Yat Sen University, Dr. Zhang Yaou of Tsing Hua
> University, Dr. Kong Hsiang-Fu of the Chinese University of Hong
Kong, Dr.
> Zhou Xiangjun of Shanghai Jiaotong University, and Dr. Yong-Jian
Geng of the
> University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and the Texas
Heart
> Institute, discussed their own latest advancements since recent
> breakthroughs at the University of Wisconsin and Kyoto University
in Japan.
> The scientists also discussed mutual cooperation and research
oversight
> opportunities, creation of ethical research guidelines in China,
and future
> iPS cell research directions. At the symposium, a special subgroup
of
> China's leading cardiovascular scientists like Dr. Chen Haozhu of
Fudan
> University, Dr. Wang Shiwen of the Chinese PLA General Hospital,
and Dr.
> Zhang Fumin of Nanjing Medical University conferred on the use of
stem cells
> in heart disease treatment, as well as new research methods and
ethical
> responsibilities in that field.
>
> Dr. Yong-Jian Geng, M.D., Ph.D, Director of the Heart Failure and
Stem Cell
> Research Lab at the Texas Heart Institute and Professor of Medicine
at the
> University of Texas Medical School in Houston, said, "Scientists and
> clinicians have been doing incredible research on stem cells, and
generating
> many exciting results. I feel confident more breakthroughs will be
coming
> soon. I was very pleased and honored to be invited to participate
in this
> discussion, and I am willing to help our Chinese investigators to
establish
> guidelines that will, in my opinion, help develop a global standard
for the
> stem cell therapies."
>
> Dr. Hu Jifan, noted senior research scientist at the Palo Alto VA
Health
> Care System under the Stanford University Medical School
said, "Leading
> scientists in China are constantly finding ways to create more
effective iPS
> cells. Through this forum we agreed to help verify each other's
work, share
> experiences, and ensure safe, high-standard research takes place so
that we
> may someday create the conditions for effective clinical treatments
and
> industrial scale production of iPS cells. While no one knows yet
when these
> conditions might be met, this Forum certainly helped speed up the
process by
> bringing together some of the world's best minds working towards
these
> goals."
>
> Presentations at the 2008 China Stem Cell Stem Cell Technology
Forum covered
> a wide range of new biological advancements as Chinese scientists
hone in on
> the global goal of bringing practical stem cell treatments to
market. Other
> topics covered included findings on the most potent combinations of
stem
> cells, effective cell processing methods, the latest clinical trials
> targeting diseases like heart conditions, muscular dystrophy and
optic nerve
> hypoplasia (ONH), and much more yet to be published stem cell
research.
>
> Beike Biotechnology Co., Ltd., a worldwide leader in researching and
> providing safe and effective stem cell applications for medical
treatment,
> hosted the event along with the China National Center for
Biotechnology
> Development (CNCBD) under China's Ministry of Science and
Technology (MOST),
> the Jiangsu Provincial Department for Science and Technology, and
the
> Taizhou Government. The 2008 China Stem Cell Stem Cell Technology
Forum was
> attended by MOST officials, the Vice Governor of Jiangsu Province
Mr. Zhang
> Taolin, and Taizhou Mayor Mr. Yao Jianhua.
>
> Dr. Sean Hu, the Chairman of Beike Biotech said, "Chinese science,
and
> indeed global stem cell research, achieved a great deal through
this forum.
> Beike is proud to work with China to bring together so many
globally known
> Mandarin speaking stem cell scientists to better communicate and
share
> resources regarding what may very well become the future of
healthcare."
>
> About the China Medical City (CMC)
> Jiangsu Province is considered the number one location for China's
medical
> industry based on revenue generated over the past 5 years. The city
of
> Taizhou in Jiangsu is not only the hometown of China's President Hu
Jintao,
> but is considered the fastest growing medical industry location in
Jiangsu,
> with over 35 % annual growth in that time. Established by the
Chinese
> Government in 2005 and consisting of 20-25 square Kilometers in the
heart of
> Taizhou City, China Medical City (CMC) is fully supported by
China's local
> and national governments. CMC is emerging as a strong leader in
China's
> efforts to develop a streamlined pharmaceutical and medical
materials
> industry that concentrates all medical services and support in one
location.
> Businesses located in CMC carry out a range of manufacturing and
support
> services including research and development, creation and
processing of
> medical materials, distribution, comprehensive healthcare delivery
> solutions, and patent filing support.
>
> About Beike Biotechnology Company Limited
> Beike is a biotechnology company that was founded in July 2005 with
capital
> from Beijing University, Hong Kong University of Science and
Technology and
> Shenzhen City Hall when it commercialized stem cell technology that
had been
> in research since 1999. The research and clinical work comes from
> collaborations with leading institutions in China including of
Tsinghua
> University, Beijing University, Hong Kong University of Science and
> Technology, No. 3 Army Medical University, Zhongshan Medical
University,
> Guiyang Medical College and Zhengzhou University. Over 250 patients
every
> month are treated with Beike's stem cells in leading hospitals
throughout
> China. Patient experiences from treatments can be found at Stem
Cell China
> News ( <http://www.stemcellschina.com/>
http://www.stemcellschina.com).
>
> For more information, please contact:
>
> info@...
>
> http://www.beikebiotech.com <http://www.beikebiotech.com/>
>