By joining the European Network for Regenerative Medicine, the Skeletal Tissue Engineering Group Amsterdam (STEGA) at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam has formed a Dutch country chapter of REGENERATE to intensify the scientific exchange between the clinical partners being active in the field of musculo-skeletal diseases in the Regenerate network. To intensify the scientific joint venture STEGA will organize on behalf of REGENERATE the 3rd international congress "Biotechnologies for Spinal Surgery - BIOSPINE 3" in Amsterdam in September 2010.
After 2002 in Halle and 2007 in Leipzig we continue with the idea of evaluating the suitability of developments from the field of biotechnology for use and implementation in spinal surgery.
Osteoinductive materials and growth factors are still the most successful implementation in spinal surgery. Some product lines are already used with the help of mesenchymal stem cells for defect repair. Within the last years the multidisciplinary research and development field of Regenerative Medicine has directed its main activity into translational research bringing the developments into clinical application. In particular in Europe these developments are already used for the benefit of patients.
In the field of spine surgery clinical successes have been made in disc repair and improved bone fusion and mesenchymal stem cells have demonstrated their first successes in regeneration in musculo-skeletal diseases.
Three years after the last meeting in Leipzig we will hold a follow up symposium in Amsterdam. The topic Biotechnologies in Spinal Surgery has created a great interest in our community. We will address cellular therapies, application for growth factors, regeneration and degeneration of intervertebral disc, which have already been topics of previous conferences. More importantly, we wish to join the discussion and offer insight into the fields of embryonic, pluripotent and adult stem cells, skeletal application of polymeres, spinal cord repair and cellular repair strategies. Further advances in nanoparticles for visualisation, smart scaffolds and the opportunities for conservative therapies are critically important to our debate. This conference is pointedly broad in scope and designed to include scientists and medical experts as well as manufacturers. We would hereby like to express to You a warm invitation to BIOSPINE 3 in Amsterdam to join us in exchange and discussion of our findings regarding new products, preclinical and clinical results and planned developments together with scientists, doctors and partners in the industry.
Topics
Embryonic, pluripotent and adult stem cells
Skeletal applications of polymers
Spinal cord repair
Regeneration and degeneration of intervertebral disc
Smart scaffolds
Cellular therapies
Application of growth factors
Nanoparticles for visualisation
Minimal invasive surgical procedures
Risk profile for modern therapies/decision making
Regulatory issues and ethical problems
Clinical evaluation of innovative spinal therapies
Opportunities for conservative therapies
Prevalidation and balance of therapeutical
Deadlines
Abstract submission deadline: March 31st, 2010
Early registration deadline: May 31st, 2010
