Dear Colleagues,

On behalf of the Organizing and Scientific Committees, it is my great pleasure to welcome you to the forthcoming 8th Annual Meeting of the Hellenic Society of Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, which will take place in Athens, Greece on May 30-June 1, 2025.

As in previous years, distinguished scientists and researchers from Greece and Europe have been invited to participate and present the most recent advances in diverse cutting-edge fields within the area of Gene & Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine. We look forward to an international forum that will offer ample networking opportunities with high-level scientists from Greece and abroad.

The meeting intends to bring together researchers, clinicians, representatives of pharmaceutical companies, postdoctoral scientists and undergraduate or postgraduate students, and to create an all-inclusive environment for cross-communication and the development of fruitful collaborations.

The main axes of the meeting revolve around topics such as cancer immunotherapy with CAR-T or non-engineered T-lymphocytes, the therapeutic use of exosomes, the prospects of cord blood banks in regenerative medicine and updates in gene editing. Clinical advances and future challenges in the field of gene therapy for hearing disorders or rare hematological diseases will be presented. The educational program includes the presentation of state-of-the-art tools in the fields of biomaterials, nanoparticles, genomics and the creation of stem cell models for the study of important, so far incurable, diseases. At the same time, the oral and poster sessions will provide an opportunity for young scientists to present their research and interact.

The Board of Directors of the HSGTRM is pleased to announce the participation of two internationally leading scientists who will deliver keynote lectures: Professor Douglas Higgs of the University of Oxford on the regulation of gene expression during erythropoiesis in health and disease, and Professor Jacob Hanna from the Weizmann Institute who will present pioneering studies in ex vivo embryogenesis.

This year, we will have the great honor to host in the meeting Mr. Terry Pyrovolakis to share with us his tireless and inspiring efforts for development of a new gene therapy for Spastic Paraplegia Type 50, the rare disease from which his son suffers. The journey is still ongoing as his new company, Elpida Therapeutics, hopes to save the lives of many more children with rare diseases.

An important innovation for 2025 is integration within the program of the 1st Young Investigators Forum organized by young scientists, postdoctoral fellows and doctoral candidates, members of HSGTRM. It will take place at the beginning of the meeting on May 30, 2025 and we hope that it evolves into a yearly add-on for promotion of the research of young scientists, members of HSGTRM, and for preparation of the next generation of the Society’s leadership.
Your active participation and support are prerequisites for the success of the meeting and we look forward to seeing you in Athens.

Sincerely,
Rebecca Matsas
President of Board of Directors