History 

 

In February 2007, scientists from Asia, USA and Europe met at the “ First International Workshop on Placenta Derived Stem Cells”, which was held in Brescia (Italy), to discuss state-of-the-art science in the field, and to reach consensus regarding the definition and potential of placental stem cells.

 

Encouraged by this first positive experience, a second Workshop entitled “Placenta derived cells for the treatment of inflammatory diseases: moving toward clinical application” was held in March 2009 in Brescia (Italy) with the specific purpose of focusing on the use of Placenta Derived Stem Cells for developing cell therapy approaches for a well-defined group of pathologies, namely, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.

 

Conclusions which were drawn from both Workshops underlined the need for an International rather than a National approach to achieve real integration of expertise and to achieve the interdisciplinarity required for translating the scientific knowledge which had been acquired into clinical applications.

 

The idea to establish IPLASS was born during the first International Workshop on Placenta Derived Stem Cells, which was held in Brescia in March, 2007, and it was re-discussed for approval during the Workshop entitled “Placenta-derived cells for treatment of inflammatory diseases: moving toward clinical application”, which was held in Brescia in March, 2009.

 

On September 12th, 2009, the foundation of IPLASS was held in the presence of the following researchers who acted in order to help create the Society, although not at the level of a legal association: Ornella Parolini, Cesar Borlongan, Gian Paolo Bagnara, David Hess, Bing Liu, Ursula Manuelpillai, Colin McGuckin, Peter Ponsaerts, Heinz Redl, Stephen Strom, Daniel Surbek, Sankar Venkatachalam, Steffen Zeisberger, Andreas Zisch, Marco Evangelista, Francesco Alviano.

 

IPLASS was legally founded in Brescia (Italy) by Ornella Parolini and Cesario Venturina Borlongan on June 3rd, 2010.