The Department of Endocrinology at the University Hospital of Odense (website) has extensive experience in the isolation and characterisation of mesenchymal stem cells from human bone marrow as well as creation of hTERT-immortalised cell lines. We are interested in isolation of pluripotential stem cell populations from human bone marrow and compare these cells with stem cell populations obtained from other tissues including cord blood. We employ a combination of surface markers and physico-chemical characteristics for isolation of the cells and determine the molecular pathways responsible for lineage specific differentiation. The laboratory is located in the newly established Biomedical Centre in Odense that houses 6 other groups working on neuronal stem cells, cancer biology and cancer stem cells and autoimmune diseases. The Centre has state-of-the-art facilities for cells culture and molecular biology technologies.

The Department of Endocrinology's contribution to the Osteocord project is through in vitro longevity studies, telomere length and telomerase expression. Providing normal and hTERT-immortalised BM-MSCs for comparative studies. Testing the “stemness” potential of various cell populations of CB-MSCs by in vivo homing, engraftment and subcutaneous implantation assay in immune-deficient mice.

Department of Endocrinology, University Hospital of Odense, Kloevervaenget 6, 5000 Odense, DENMARK

Professor Moustapha Kassem e-mail	Dr Jorge Burns e-mail

Click on the links to access the other Partners:

1. University of York, UK
2. University Hospital of Odense, Denmark
3. University of Southern Denmark
4. Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering
5. University of Nottingham, UK
6. Institute of Transfusion Medicine and Immunology, Mannheim, Germany
7. Angel Biotechnology, Edinburgh, Scotland
8. EC Bio, Oeiras, Portugal
9. Regentec, Nottingham, UK