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Turning Stem Cell Research into Lifesaving Treatments

Published October 01, 2019

Meet Michele De Luca, MD


Winner of the 2019 Senior Scientist Innovators in Science Award.
Michele De Luca, MDUniversity of Modena and Reggio Emilia

Michele De Luca, MD
University of Modena and Reggio Emilia

Repairing the skin in patients with life-threatening diseases or widespread wounds is a notoriously challenging proposition, but Michele De Luca's work has transformed the field. He and his international team of collaborators successfully replaced the skin of a child in Germany suffering from epidermolysis bullosa with a genetically modified epidermis, perhaps curing the boy of a life-threatening disease.

All of this is thanks to his work identifying stem cell behaviors and developing techniques that enable the expansion and transplantation of epithelial stem cells that include the skin, eyes, and mucosa. Watch the video above to learn more about his lifesaving work, which earned him the 2019 Senior Scientist Innovators in Science Award.

Nominations for the 2020 Innovators in Science Award close on November 22, 2019. Learn more about how you can nominate someone here.