SECRET · Exploring the therapeutic potential of perinatal cell SECRETomes

Over the past two decades, cells isolated from human perinatal (or birth-associated) tissues (amniotic membrane, umbilical cord tissue and cells from amniotic fluid), have been shown to provide tremendous pro-regenerative activities. Amongst others, the application of these cells or of components of their secretome, including extracellular vesicles (EVs), have been found to improve myocardial infarction (MI), ischemic stroke (IS) and multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms in various animal models. Currently, cell-free therapies represent a frontier for innovation in regenerative medicine for clinical unmet needs, however, very few scientists are trained for their clinical translation. “Exploring the therapeutic potential of perinatal cell SECRETomes - SECRET” sets out with the ambition to train 10 doctoral candidates (DCs) to disentangle the inherent therapeutic potential of perinatal cell secretomes (either as a whole or as fractionated small EVs) in order to possibile translate novel biologics into the clinic. Their specific focus will be the characterisation, the delivery and the preclinical evaluation of these perinatal secretomes as an innovative therapeutic approaches for MI, IS and MS. To achieve this goal, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Prof. Ornella Parolini, Italy) unites internationally-renowned academic and non-academic institutions from Italy, The Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Portugal and Switzerland, to deliver an inter-disciplinary programme that goes beyond current state-of-the-art research in next generation medicinal product development and validation. These include the development and use of iPSC-derived organoids and organ-on-a-chip models to identify the most efficient perinatal cell secretome in terms of immunomodulation, angiogenesis, anti-fibrotic, cardio-protective and neuro-trophic properties, as well as the assessment of their in vivo cardiac reparative and neuro-regenerative potential using novel delivery methods.