Italy
This page does not hand out medals and does not promote facilities. It brings together some Italian hubs and figures that appear in official sources or in institutional profiles relevant to stem cells, hematopoietic (blood-forming) cell transplantation, advanced therapies or regenerative medicine.
Centers
Why it is included: the Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplant Unit is part of the Stem Cell Program Ospedaliero (the hospital's stem cell program), directed by Prof. Fabio Ciceri, with clinical and research activity in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and advanced therapies.
Waskyra (etuvetidigene autotemcel) was developed over decades of research at the Istituto San Raffaele Telethon per la Terapia Genica (SR-Tiget, the San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy). It is a gene therapy performed on the patient's own hematopoietic stem cells for Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome. Fondazione Telethon (the Telethon Foundation), the authorization holder, took it to approval by the FDA (December 9, 2025) and the EU (January 9, 2026).
Why it is included: the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit (Struttura Semplice Trapianto Midollo), headed by Dr. Nicola Polverelli, reports clinical activity in autologous, allogeneic and umbilical cord blood transplants and in innovative cell therapies.
Modena is Italy's reference point for therapies with epithelial stem cells: Michele De Luca and Graziella Pellegrini work at the Centro di Medicina Rigenerativa “Stefano Ferrari” (the “Stefano Ferrari” Center for Regenerative Medicine) of the Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia (University of Modena and Reggio Emilia). This line of research gave rise to Holoclar, the first advanced therapy medicinal product containing stem cells to be authorized in the EU (2015; standard marketing authorization since February 22, 2024), produced by Holostem Terapie Avanzate.
Why it is included: the Oncohematology Therapies unit reports caring for patients receiving infusions of autologous or allogeneic hematopoietic stem cells, and it manages a specialized pediatric caseload.
Why it is included: the Hematology and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant unit, directed by Prof. Simona Sica, operates within the Diagnostics and Laboratory department.
Networks and associations
The technical and scientific body that coordinates the national transplant network, including blood stem cell transplants.
A center of Italy's Ministry of Health, based at the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (Italy's National Institute of Health); it coordinates the public network of cord blood banks.
The Italian Bone Marrow Donor Registry, linked to international registries.
Gruppo italiano per il trapianto di midollo osseo, cellule staminali emopoietiche e terapia cellulare (the Italian Group for Bone Marrow Transplantation, Hematopoietic Stem Cells and Cell Therapy): the scientific society of the transplant centers.
Authorizations, clinical trials and hospital exemption for medicines based on genes, cells and tissues.
It funds research on rare genetic diseases and is the authorization holder for the gene therapies Strimvelis and Waskyra.
The coordinated stem cell research center of the Università degli Studi di Milano (University of Milan), founded in 2006, with outreach materials, including some for schools.
ADMO and ADOCES (bone marrow donors), ADISCO (cord blood), AIL (leukemias, lymphomas, myeloma), AISM (multiple sclerosis).
The European outreach project on stem cells, with fact sheets in Italian on a range of topics.
Region by region
Milan is one of the most visible hubs for hematology, transplantation and advanced therapies, with San Raffaele among the most frequently cited reference points and SR-Tiget, where the gene therapy Waskyra originated.
The Policlinico San Matteo documents activity in autologous, allogeneic and umbilical cord blood transplants and in innovative cell therapies.
Modena stands out in the field of epithelial stem cells, with Unimore's Centro di Medicina Rigenerativa “Stefano Ferrari”; Holostem, which produces Holoclar, has been in liquidation since July 2026.
Rome is home to a concentration of important pediatric and university hubs, such as Bambino Gesù and Gemelli, with documented activity in hematology and transplantation.
The Policlinico Federico II (Federico II University Hospital) appears in the regional framework on clinical care pathways for hematopoietic stem cell transplants.
Professionals
Role: director of the Centro di Medicina Rigenerativa “Stefano Ferrari” of the Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, and coordinator of its gene therapy program.
Why it is included: his group's research on epithelial stem cells led to Holoclar and to grafts of genetically corrected skin for epidermolysis bullosa.
Role: director of CIDSTEM and coordinator of the cell therapy program of the Centro di Medicina Rigenerativa “Stefano Ferrari” in Modena.
Why it is included: a key figure in the clinical development of epithelial stem cell therapies, including Holoclar.
Role: director of the Istituto San Raffaele Telethon per la Terapia Genica (SR-Tiget) and full professor at the Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele (Vita-Salute San Raffaele University).
Why it is included: SR-Tiget is the research center where the gene therapy Waskyra originated; Waskyra was approved in the US and the EU between 2025 and 2026.
Role: deputy director for clinical research at SR-Tiget, full professor at the Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, and chief of the Pediatric Immunohematology Unit.
Why it is included: he leads clinical research at SR-Tiget, where gene therapies using blood stem cells are developed, as well as a research group on primary immunodeficiencies.
Role: full professor in the Department of Biosciences of the Università degli Studi di Milano and coordinator of UniStem, the university's stem cell research center.
Why it is included: she coordinates UniStem, which also produces outreach materials for schools; as a senator, she was the rapporteur of the Senate inquiry into the Stamina case (2015).
Role: director of San Raffaele's Stem Cell Program Ospedaliero, according to the unit's official page.
Documented basis: San Raffaele's official Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplant clinical unit.
Role: head of the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit (Struttura Semplice Trapianto Midollo) at the Policlinico San Matteo.
Documented basis: the center's official page, describing activity in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and innovative cell therapies.
Role: head of the Oncohematology Therapies unit at Bambino Gesù, which reports caring for pediatric patients receiving infusions of hematopoietic stem cells.
Documented basis: official page of the Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù.
Role: full professor of Pediatrics at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Catholic University of the Sacred Heart); at the Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù he directs the Clinical Area of Oncohematology, Cell Therapy, Gene Therapies and Hematopoietic Transplantation.
Role: director of the Pediatric Oncohematology Clinic of the Università di Padova (University of Padua), which includes stem cell transplantation.
Role: director of the Hematology and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant unit at the Policlinico Gemelli in Rome.
Documented basis: official page of the Diagnostics and Laboratory department of the Policlinico Gemelli.
Role: orthopedic surgeon, contract lecturer in Human Physiology at the Università Europea di Roma (European University of Rome); the GVM group lists him under Orthopedics and Traumatology and Spine Surgery at Villa Torri Hospital, Bologna.
Why it is included: he takes part in public outreach events in Italy on stem cells and regenerative medicine in orthopedics, such as the talk “Verso l'immortalità: le cellule staminali” (“Toward immortality: stem cells”) at the Versiliana Festival (July 10, 2025). His profile is clinical, in orthopedics, not in basic stem cell research.
Professional website: fernandocolao.it
Geographic summary
| Region | City | Institution / Network | Main area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lombardy | Milan | IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, SR-Tiget and Fondazione Telethon | Hematology, gene therapy, bone marrow transplant |
| Lombardy / Pavia | Pavia | IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo | Autologous/allogeneic transplant, cord blood cells, innovative cell therapies |
| Emilia-Romagna | Modena | Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia (CMR “Stefano Ferrari”), Holostem Terapie Avanzate (in liquidation since 2026) | Advanced therapies, epithelial stem cells, skin grafts |
| Lazio | Rome | Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, Policlinico Gemelli | Pediatric hematology, transplantation, oncology |
| Campania | Naples | Policlinico Federico II | Clinical care pathways for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation |
Verified links