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Lombardy is one of the main contributors to CAR-T research at the national level and the region with the largest number of hospitals and research institutes dedicated to oncology. The city of Milano alone hosts 17 of them.
In 2020, Lombardy Region started the three-year Pagencell Project, aimed at creating CAR-T allogeneic cell banks (in particular CARCIK cells) obtained from umbilical cords' blood and stored with an "off the shelf approach".
The Institutes participating in the Plagencell Project are 5 academic cell factories: “Stefano Verri” - ASST Monza (Tettamanti Foundation), "G. Lanzani” of ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII in Bergamo, IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo Foundation in Pavia, IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico Foundation in Milano and Besta Neurological Institute in Milano.
Partner of the Plagencell Project is also the Milano-based Hospital San Raffaele, which is also one of the of the 6 institutes of excellence selected to participate in the European consortium EURE-CART. The ultimate goal of EURE-CART is to bring EU at the forefront CAR T-cell immunotherapy, extending the applicability of CAR T-cell immunotherapy to incurable tumours.
The Hospital is recognized as IRCCS (Scientific Institute for Research and Healthcare) for its research in molecular medicine and innovative treatments application, such as the gene therapy, and it is a multi-specialty center with more than 50 clinical specialties available and with over 1,340 beds.
Research Hospital Humanitas, also features a CAR-T dedicated unit with hematologists expert in stem cell transplant, two teams of professional nurses with specific competences in apheresis and CAR-T patients and a multidisciplinary team of doctors expert in the treatment of toxic collateral effects of the therapy.
The IEO strives for excellence in cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment, developing clinical and scientific research coupled with innovative organization and management, while paying constant attention to the quality of the service offered to patients. Since its set up, the IEO has contributed to a better understanding of various tumors and has led to new protocols and treatment regimens which have become standard practice both nationally and internationally. IEO is one of the most important Centres of Excellence for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, with the largest number of breast cancer patients treated worldwide.
Its Women Cancer Center (WCC) brings together experts from the IEO multidisciplinary gynecology and senology programs.
The National Cancer Institute of Milan (INT), established in 1928, stands as a center of excellence for pre-clinical, translational and clinical research activities, and clinical care. INT has 464 inpatient beds and provides more than 400,000 outpatient visits per year. The Institute carries out a public service characterized by a high level of diagnostic therapeutic and research activities.
The Institute has programs and projects in every field and phase of research, preclinical, epidemiological, public health and clinical. INT is the Italian coordinator of numerous national and international clinical trials also with early phase studies.
The center is totally dedicated to the cure of cancer and is divided into different departments that come together in: medical oncology, hematology, surgery and radiotherapy.