Stem Cell Therapy Development for Corneal Epithelium Regeneration

Corneal disease ranks as the fourth major cause of blindness, imposing a significant medical, social, and economic burden. Effective therapeutic options for corneal disease are unfortunately limited. The development of regenerative treatment has proven more complex than anticipated. Bridging the gap between cutting-edge scientific and technological advancements and their clinical applications in ocular regenerative medicine requires equipping the next generation of (medical) researchers with comprehensive training to drive innovation and facilitate clinical translation. STEM-CORE aims to reshape European doctorate education, through ‘training through innovative research’, nurturing future leaders in ocular regenerative medicine and beyond. This training program offers doctoral candidates (DCs) a comprehensive training trajectory to develop a robust, affordable, and sustainable cell therapy for treating corneal blindness caused by stem cell deficiency. Key components include in-depth understanding of stem cell differentiation, developing (genetically corrected) cell products and biomaterials, and evaluating regenerative function of the cell products in corneas. Through innovative, interdisciplinary and intersectoral research, STEM-CORE provides training of a full set of transferable and other complementary skills to DCs that enhances their career prospects across academia and industry. To achieve this, STEM-CORE has assembled a team of leading European researchers and dedicated supervisors from academic and non-academic sectors, whose expertise spans all facets of the training program. We envision that STEM-CORE will not only establish a novel paradigm for cell therapy development but also empower aspiring researchers to tackle broad challenges in future regenerative medicine, advancing European innovation and contributing to societal progress.