Annual report 2004 - Compagnia di San Paolo

Institutional activities in 2004
Health
National Institute for Cardiovascular Research
Bologna Interuniversity Consortium (INRI-CI)
Ischemic hearth disease is among the leading causes of
mortality in industrialised countries. The tissue necrosis
following the ischemic event determines a decrease in the
number and functioning of the cardiac muscle cells in the
affected area. The aim of cell transplant strategy is to
increase the number of vital heart cells in the infarcted
area.
Donation of cells by healthy donors to infarct sufferers
still encounters serious technical problems and
incompatibility, whereas the use of peripheral blood stem
cells on the same patient, and the interventions to
mobilise stem cells in the heart or the bone marrow can be
an alternative to donor transplants. Stem cells could
become valid option for cell therapy of the cardiopathic
tissue for they inhibit rejection risk and do not raise
ethical problems.
National Institute for Cardiovascular Research – Bologna
Interuniversity Consortium (INRI-CI) is set to promote
Scientific Research and technology and knowledge
sharing on the cardiovascular system. This will be
possible through enhanced participation of the
universities in the consortium – including Turin
University – to scientific activities in the cardiovascular
field, in agreement with national and international
programmes to which Italy is committed.
The mission of the Institute is to coordinate the research
of its operational units, to allow the most rational use of
resources and equipment and to foster popularisation of
the findings. The project funded by the Compagnia di San
Paolo with € 700,000 in 2004 – plus € 680,000
allocated in previous years – aims at highlighting the
main ex vivo growth and maturity stages of stem cells,
with particular attention to spin-offs for research on
clinical practice.
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