Under the patronage of H.E. Chief Executive Officer of Ministry of National Guard - Health Affairs
The 3rd Stem Cell Conference
The 3rd Stem Cell Conference 2016 entitled "New Frontiers in Stem Cell Basic Research, Translation and Clinical Application activities were launched on Monday the 19th of September 2016 in the Convection Center under the patronage of H.E. Chief Executive Officer of Ministry of National Guard - Health Affairs, President of King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Dr. Bandar Al Knawy.
The activates were commenced by a speech delivered by the Chairman of the Organizing Scientific Committee Dr. Mohamed Abumaree, in which he noted the increasing interest in the scientific concepts of stem cells, praising the efforts of the Saudi Stem Cells Donor Registry, which is the most prominent registry in the Arab region.
After that, President of the International Placenta Stem Cell Society (IPLASS), Dr. Ornella Parolini commended the scientific achievements in the Kingdom, especially as this is her fourth visit, hoping for more joint cooperation in this field.
Additionally, the Executive Director of King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), Dr. Ahmed Al Askar, pointed out that the concept of regenerative medicine and stem cell therapy is one of the scientific concepts that are frequently deliberated in recent times, and that these scientific forums in collaboration with international and regional partnerships predict the existence of future research projects in this field.
He added that KAIMRC most prominent projects is the Saudi Stem Cells Donor Registry, which is considered the first of its kind in the Arab region. The number of donors reached more than 30,000 donors, it’s also synched with global registers to send and receive stem cells donation requests.
Moreover, Dr. Al Askar said that the conference will include scientific papers relevant in the area of stem cell therapy and regenerative medicine, with the participation of international and national speakers. Also, the Saudi Scientific Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation is considered a scientific platform which holds many significant projects in the field of stem cells research.
More importantly, Dr. Al Askar pointed out that KAIMRC was recently a recipient of the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT) awarded to organizations for their high quality medical and laboratory practice in cellular therapies.
Last but not least, H.E. Chief Executive Officer of Ministry of National Guard - Health Affairs, President of King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Dr. Bandar Al Knawy, welcomed the participants while pointing out that holding this event for the 3rd time in a row in the Ministry of National Guard - Health Affairs, represented by KAIMRC, is part of the attention the MNG-HA pays for following up on medical developments and accelerated scientific research basics requirements, which in turn is reflected in the development of the quality health care provided to patients.
Additionally, Dr. Al Knawy stressed out that everyone is excited about what this conference will achieve in in the field stem cell research for providing worksheets enriched with scientific and practical content. H.E. also extended his appreciation to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud for his unlimited support to the health field, as well as extending his appreciation to His Royal Highness Prince Miteb bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, Minister of National Guard, the Saudi Stem Cells Donor Registry Honorary President, for his continuous support and dedication for the registry.
Lastly, the conference included an exhibition, which was launched by Dr. Al Knawy, that showcased the latest developments of the KAIMRC.