newsletter

DECEMBER 2014

DYNAMISM AND A BROAD RANGEOF INITIATIVES TO ADVANCE SCIENCE

Survey Censis“BECOMING PARENTS TODAY. REPORT ON FERTILITY/INFERTILITY IN ITALY”

Forum“AGING: IS IT A DISEASE?” ACTIVITIES

FOCUS ON

INSIGHTS FROM THE FOUNDATION

ATTIVITA’

APPUNTAMENTI

INTERVISTA

OVERVIEW

Attualità

INSIGHTS FROM THE FOUNDATION

Dynamism and a broad range of initiatives to advance science

FOCUS ON Survey Censis “Becoming parents today. Report on fertility/infertility in Italy”

ACTIVITIES• Forum “Aging: is it a disease?”• Workshop “The human brain and social media:

how are individuals changing?”

APPOINTMENTS • The next forums• The fellowship program

INTERVIEWInterview with Prof. Andrea LenziProfessor of Endocrinology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy and President of Italy’s National University Council

ATTIVITA’

Dynamism and a broad range of initiatives to advance science

Great momentum for our Foundation in the second half of 2014. In these past six months we have organised and held a number of major initiatives giving our contribution to science, both in its narrower sense and in a broader social perspective.

First, we had the Forum titled “Aging: is it a disease?” at which leading international experts provided their insights and discussed current and future implications of an aging society.

Then, we had “Becoming parents today. Report on fertility/infertility in Italy”. the survey made by our Foundation in partnership with CENSIS, a leading Italian social and economic research institute, and the eventheldtopresent itsfindingswherebywehavegivenourcontributiongrounded insciencetothepublic debate on assisted reproduction in Italy. A contribution that judging from the broad coverage the findingsofthesurveyhadonItalianmediaprovedtobemuchhelpful.

Last, but not least, the workshop titled “The human brain and social media: how are individuals changing?” organised by our Foundation together with Milan Catholic University that brought together social media experts and scholars to discuss the impact social media have on our lives, whereby sharing scientific knowledge including through areview of literature, we have given our contribution to the analysis of a phenomenon of growing significanceinoursociety.

For the broader view under which they were developed,theseinitiativesreachedadiversifiedaudience:fromscientistsandscholarsforwhomthethemes of the events are a subject of professional interest and research and yet engage their personal lives too, to the man on the street who comes across these themes and needs to be correctly informed.

These initiatives together with the forums held in previous months, the fellowship program and the

Insights from the foundation

ATTIVITA’

Attualità

other activities we have undertaken to support science and research during the year have made 2014 a momentous year for the IBSA Foundation. So, we’ve decided to have a ‘Special Issue’ attached to this newsletter to share with you everything our Foundation has done to build a widespread quality science culture throughout 2014. This year, which is our second year in operation, we have broadened the gamut of our initiatives and we believe the dense calendar of appointments, the broad participation and media coverage are a testament to the vitality our Foundation has managed to impart to everything it has done.

We promise you the same dynamism for 2015 as well. We have already programmed three forums for next year.Thefirsttitled“Sexual health and sexual ecology”willbeheldinMilan,Italy,forascientificdiscussionof this theme and its social implications. The second titled “Stress,inflammationandreproduction” will be held at the University of Siena, Italy, to discuss stress and the impact stress and external conditions can have on health. The third and last forum titled “Cancer and Immunology” is scheduled in September 2015, at Università della Svizzera Italiana in Lugano, Switzerland.

For2015,wealsoconfirmour fellowshipprogramaswell as the “EFIC-IBSA Foundation Publication Award”tosupporttheworkofyounginvestigatorsataparticularlydifficultjunctureforresearch.

ThefirststepstheIBSAFoundationhastakenafter itsformationhavebeenextremelyimportantandhave led people to discover a world, the world of quality science and science education, where our Foundationaspirestoleadtheway.Thesefirststepshavebeengiantleapsforwardwhichwouldnothavebeen possible without your help and support as medical specialists, researchers and students, speakers, presenters, journalists, members of the general public, in brief all the people who are passionate about the themes we proposed for discussions and have an interest in them. We take this opportunity to thank you all and tell you once more that we welcome any idea, suggestion or advice you may have which most certainly will make our long journey together even more enriching.

Insights from the foundation

ATTIVITA’

Attualità

Survey: “Becoming parents today. Report on fertility/infertility in Italy”. A picture of Italian society with multiple facets.

A multi-faceted picture of Italian society: this is possibly the key finding from “Becoming parents today. Report on fertility/infertility in Italy”, the CENSIS survey commissioned by the IBSA Foundation to get deeper and broader insights than just medical stats, a goal that was widely attained.

The information discussed by the panelists Ketty Vaccaro, Head of Welfare and Health Research at CENSIS, Piergiorgio Crosignani, past Professor of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at Milan University, Guglielmo Pepe, past Chief Editor of Salute-La Repubblica and Giuseppe Zizzo, IBSA Foundation Secretary, at the event presenting the Report was given great visibility by the media that broadly covered the survey findings, scientific data andinsights provided, and used them for more in-depth media reports and comments on the very much topical subject of assisted reproduction.

The survey results reveal a much more varied picture of Italy’s public opinion and greater openness in the attitude of the Italian population than it was expected. Italians are largely in favour of both in vivo and in vitro fertilisation when the eggs and sperm come from the couple (85% and 73% of respondents, respectively). Public opinion is instead divided when it comes to using donor eggs or sperm with 40% of Italians favourable to use of

donor gametes, a percentage that declines to 30% among Catholics who regularly go to church and rises to 65% among non-believers. 35% of Italians are in favour of pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (29% among Catholics), only 14% are favourable to surrogacy (using a surrogate parent) and just 9.5% to pre-conception sex selection.

Only 11% of interviewees said they know there is legislation governing the matter (Act 40 of 2004).

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DIVENTARE GENITORI OGGIINDAGINE SULLA FERTILITÀ/INFERTILITÀ DI COPPIA

A cura di Maria Concetta VaccaroINDAGINE SULLA FERTILITÀ/INFERTILITÀ IN ITALIA

Senato della RepubblicaBiblioteca del Senato Giovanni Spadolini Sala degli Atti Parlamentari

Piazza della Minerva, 38 Roma Giovedì 3 luglio 2014, ore 10, 30

DIVENTARE GENITORI OGGI

This small percentage of individuals who are aware of its existence do not generally judge this legislation positively, largely because its application varies from region to region within the country and for the restrictions applied to couples. The majority of these people think the legislation should be changed.

Italians apparently have overcome the idea of the traditional family as many accept that people who are not part of a traditional, heterosexual couple can have children as well: single parents for 46% of respondents and same-sex couples for 29% of them. Religious beliefs, in these instances, have limited weight as the percentages of Catholics accepting this, are 43% and 23%, respectively.

The most striking data is the continuing birth decline. In 2013 in Italy, the birth rate was down 3.7% on the prior year, from 9 births to 8.5 births per 1,000 people.Since thebeginningof thefinancialcrisisthe decline has topped 62,000 births per year, down

from 576,659 newborn babies in 2008 to 514,308 in 2013, its lowest level in Italy since records began in 1862. This in spite of population having grown over time, progress being made by medicine and the contribution given by resident immigrants. Italians are largely aware of the country’s birth rate issue: 88% of those polled knew Italians do not procreate much. The majority of respondents attributed this to financial tightness: 83% of them believe theeconomiccrisismakesitmoredifficultforpeopletodecide to have children. The percentage tops 90% among people aged up to 34 years, i.e. the younger generations who are hardest hit by the crisis and are of an age when the decision of having a child is commonly made.

So, the economic crisis discourages people from having children. And yet the lack of public policies supporting families is a contributing factor too. 61% of Italians believe couples would have a greater propensity to have children if there were government support. As to their wish list, the majority of respondents (71%) cited tax reliefs and financial support, followed by child care servicesthat need to be expanded (67%) and reduction of costs (56%) for education (school tuition, school meals and transportation) through Government help.

The survey also helped bring out in the open the knowledge gaps regarding infertility which is a theme concerning everyone. 45% of people surveyed admitted they do not know much about it and an additional 15% confirmed they are notinformed.

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Of those who admitted they are aware of the problem (40%), 16% have a direct family member or friend impacted by the problem (9%) or he/she him/herself is impacted by it (7%). Respondents were largely uncertain about the causes of infertility.

Half of those polled said there is no prevailing male or female cause, and 33% of them believe in the majority of instances infertility is caused by problems of both partners. Among the causes the most cited one was the most general one, stress (31%), followed by female factors, i.e. structural problems or abnormalities (21%) or hormonal or ovulation issues (15%). 11% of respondents indicated male factors and 6% seminal fluiddefects. 23% of respondents though were unable to name a cause.

For Italians the specialist of choice to turn to in case of fertility problems is still the OB/GYN cited by 63% of interviewees, while the andrologist/urologist was cited only by 3% of respondents. Much higher (81%) is the percentage of respondents who think Italians know little or nothing at all about assisted reproduction technologies.

Couples with infertility problems have no few difficulties to surmount. Financial difficultiesweretop-cited (67%) and indeed are an issue also for other couples. 80% of respondents said the current downturn deters couples from pursuing assisted reproduction. And yet there are also difficulties:getting the right information as often couples do not know who to turn to (42%) and the psychological

toll (42%) including people withdrawing into themselves as communicating and sharing one’s infertility with others is still something that is not easily done.

These are the main findings of the survey. Theyprovide insights and food for thought about themes the Foundation intended to bring to public attention. We are therefore particularly glad of the broadmediacoveragethesurveyanditsfindingsreceived.

We will certainly continue to investigate the theme. We have already planned two other studies one on physicians and the other on couples who are pursuing assisted reproduction.

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ATTIVITA’

Attualità

At the Forum titled “Aging: is it a disease?” organised by the IBSA Foundation, leading international experts provided insights into how we can meet the challenge of living longer in good health A hundred specialists and investigators in this medical area have discussed aging and related disorders at the Forum titled “Aging: is it a disease?” organised by the IBSA Foundation for scientificresearch and held on September 27, 2014 at Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany. Professor Carlo Gaetano, Director, Division of Cardiovascular Epigenetics, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany, and local organiser of the Forum played host.

With his overview of studies on cardiovascular aging conducted over the years at the internationally famed US institute on aging as well as at other international institutions where he has worked, Edward Lakatta (Chief, Laboratory of Cardiovascular Science, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD, USA) generated a great deal of interest. Dr. Lakatta highlighted in particular the factors that stand in the way of normal cardiovascular function as people grow old, emphasising that appropriate treatment may contribute to attain the ultimate goal of Healthy Aging i.e. people living longer healthy lives enjoying a good quality of life.

The molecular and pathophysiology mechanisms underlying cellular senescence and aging in humans were discussed in the presentations made by leading experts in the field including Judith Campisi (Professor, Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, California, USA), Eric Verdin

(Associate Director, Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA), Barbara Demeneix (Professor, National Research Centre and National Natural History Museum Paris, France), José-Arturo Londono Vallejo (CNRS-Research Director, Institute Curie, Paris, France) and Reinier Boon (Group Leader, Institute of Cardiovascular Regeneration, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany), Karl Lenhard Rudolph (Director, Leibniz Institute for Age Research, Jena, Germany) and the Dr. Bär (Senior Investigator, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre, Madrid, Spain).

Tackling the themes to their full breadth, depth and complexity, the line-up of experts at the Forum

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included also Antonella Farsetti (Senior Investigator, Italy’s National Research Council, Rome, Italy, Visiting Scientist, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany, and member of the Forum ScientificCommittee), Manuel Serrano (Director, Molecular Oncology Programme, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre, Madrid, Spain), Pier Giuseppe Pelicci (Director, Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy), and Alessandro Cellerino (Professor, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, Italy) who illustrated the great contribution that experimental animal models give to improving understanding of the intrinsic mechanisms of aging and cancer and their potential prevention.

Like the other forums it has held, the IBSA Foundation organised this Forum driven by its deeply held belief that it is important to support research and discussions on key issues that have asignificant impactonsocietysuchasaging.Tothat end the Foundation thought it would be crucial

to engage leading international experts whose scientificworkexcellenceisrecognisedworldwide.The meeting proceedings will be circulated and shared with scientists and experts around the world asatangiblecontributiontoscientificprogressforhealthy aging.

activities

ATTIVITA’

Attualità

“The human brain and social media:how are individuals changing?”Workshop held at Cattolica University, Milan, ItalyOur lives are increasingly intertwined with digital technologies. Social media are so popular and have become an integral part of our daily life, if nothing else, for the amount of time each of us spends using them, but also because these digital tools are no longer just means of communication, but true extension of our individuality in social interactions.Given the prominence of the theme, the IBSA Foundation decided to promote together with Milan Cattolica University a meeting, bringing together social media experts and scholars to discuss the impact these technologies have on our lives and especially whether or not they change our identity. The meeting titled “The human brain and social media: how are individuals changing?” was held on October 28, 2014 at Cattolica University, Milan, Italy. Moderated by Pierangelo Garzia speakers

included IBSA Foundation Director Silvia Misiti, Gianni Riotta, Kate Davis and Giuseppe Riva.

Before an audience of some hundred people including students, researchers, new technologies buffsandordinarypeople,GiuseppeRiva,Professorof Psychology of Communication, Psychology and New Communication Technologies, Cattolica del Sacro Cuore University, Milan, Italy, and author of the book Nativi Digitali (Il Mulino) (Digital Natives), underscored that the most prominent aspects in social media use are our emotional engagement and the expectations we have using them.

Together with his team Giuseppe Riva also conducted a research study supported by the IBSA Foundation on a viral phenomenon that involves ouridentity,theselfies.Theinitialpreliminaryresultsfrom this study are worth of note.

The study involved 150 people (35% males and 65% females) with an average age of 32 years. Participantswereaskedtofilloutaquestionnairewith information about their personal details, use ofsocialmedia,selfietakingandreasonsfordoingso,andalsocompletedafinalBigFive Inventorysection for the determination of their personality traits.

With respect to the first question the study set

activities

out to answer it emerged that participants take selfies mostly with the intent to “amuse/makepeople laugh” (39%), “indulge their vanity” (30%) and “share a moment in their life” (21%). As to

what drives them, results show they take selfiesto communicate who they are with, where they are and what they are doing (exterior information) more than who they are or how they feel (identity, interior information).

With respect to the second question of the study, it came out that women take more selfies thanmen and are more driven by inner motives (“I take selfies to show who I am and how I feel”).Results also reveal that women more than men hope to get positive comments from their friends on social networks and fear negative comments. As to the last question the study set out answer, it emerged that three are the personality traits mostlyassociatedwithselfietakers.Comparedtonon-selfie takers, selfie takers aremore extravert- i.e. more sociable and enthusiastic, with high social skills - and more conscientious, that is more caution and self-controlled with a tendency to plan rather than act impulsively. Those who score high on extraversion aremore likely to take selfies toshow how they feel”, while people scoring high on conscientiousness are not particularly interested in other people’s comments, either positive or negative. Finally, people scoring high on the third trait, neuroticism or emotional instability - which is typical of people with a tendency to experience negative emotions such as anger and sadness, and whooftendon’ttrustothers–aresignificantlymorelikely to fear getting negative comments.

Gianni Riotta, journalist and writer, was one of the other speakers at the meeting. Riotta uses the Internet and social media profusely, and authored

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among others the book Il web ci rende liberi? (Einaudi) (Does the web make us free?). According to Riotta – who taught Communication at Princeton University and resides in New York – there are huge differences between the US and Europe when itcomes to progress and technology in general. In the US, people are generally more open to change, trust technology and modernisation. Riotta thinks Italian society has been lagging, and Italians fear innovation, they use the internet, but not with the same searching attitude that people in other countries have. International and domestic studies have long shown that Italians have a predilection for social networks, especially FB which is preferred over Twitter except for young people who prefer Twitter and Whatsapp.

Another prominent speaker, Kate Davis, assistant professor at The University of Washington Information School, and author with Howard Gardner of “The App Generation: How Today’s Youth Navigate Identity, Intimacy, and Imagination in a Digital World” tackled a crucial question: what are the implications of growing up in a digital world on young people’s development? In her presentation, Davis explored the role of digital media in three crucial areas of adolescent life: identity, intimacy, and imagination. Drawing on an extensive and varied research program with colleagues at Harvard University, including interviews with young people, focus groups with individuals who work with youth, and a unique analysis of kid’s drawings and paintings before and after the digital revolution, she explored both the potentials and drawbacks of new media technologies for today’s young people. Kate

Davis concluded it is not the apps or technology per se that make people behave in a certain way but it’s the interaction between technology and society that encourages certain behaviours, certain forms of self-expression and communication.With this workshop the IBSA Foundation took a broader view to examine themes not just from

the medical specialist vantage point which is what its forumsandother scientificmeetingsdo,but expanding the view to include their social implications and look into how they are shaping individuals and society as a whole. Emphasis was placed again on the youth. With this workshop the Foundation intended to provide the opportunity for debating about one of the greatest challenges of our time and going forward, i.e. the impact that new technologies have and are going to have in the future on the individuality of so-called digital natives.

activities

ATTIVITA’fTheCENSIS/IBSAFoundationsurveyconfirmedinfertility is increasingly common. What are the main barriers for a couple with infertility problems today?

First, their busy and stressful work schedules that impact their sex life and reproduction. Many couples have to pencil in time for sex, they have ‘targeted’ intercourse, sex on command. They force themselves to have intercourse when the fertility monitor shows ovulation is taking place. Now, we need to make it crystal clear that scheduling intercourse does not increase the chances of getting pregnant, it just increases the number of male partners with decreased sexual desire and erection problems hence the number of couples in crisis. So, having intercourse only when ovulating is not the solution to the problem.

Costs can be another hurdle. At this economic juncture the costs of doctor visits, hormone assays and other tests that are needed when taking the rightapproachtotheproblemcanbeasignificantbarrier. Even a baby, with all that comes with it, can be seen as a cost that a couple cannot sustain these days. The long waiting lists not just for artificialinseminationorotherassistedreproductionprocesses, but even for a mere visit with the OB/GYN or the andrologist, especially in certain regions of Italy, are just another stumbling block.

fWhat are the main causes of infertility in a couple?

In addition to the ‘classic’ causes such as varicocoele, cryptorchidism, infections, ovulation problems, cigarette smoking and use of other addictive substances, there are some major cultural forces that come into play. Nowadays, pregnancy is increasingly seen as an event that can occur only when certain conditions are met, typically whenpeoplehaveachievedfinancialstability,haveattained personal and professional fulfilment andhave met the right partner. Unfortunately, as we all know, all this happens at an age that is more and more advanced. Take, for example, a girl who wishes to become a doctor. She will graduate at 24, at best. Then she’ll start her residency which meansanother4/5years.Bythetimeshefinishesit,shewillbe29.Thensheneedstofindajobwithadecent pay – which is not easy these days.

This will likely take another 2-3 years, at best. By then she will be 32. Then she starts looking for a home, which nowadays for many people is another nightmarish hurdle to surmount. After all this, she starts to think about having a child and by then she will be 35-36. Clearly, a woman is still young at 35, but her chances of getting pregnant – what we call her ‘cumulative pregnancy rate’ - have slimmed. The same holds true for men, although we have

interview

At the presentation of the CENSIS survey on fertility/infertility in Italy, we interviewed Professor Andrea Lenzi, Professor of Endocrinology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy and President of Italy’s National University Council, to have his take

Prof. Andrea Lenzi

fewer data as men are less investigated. To have an ideaofhowmuchfinances impingeonfertility,have a look at Italy’s per capita income in the last two years and fertility rates in our country over the same period. Plotting these data on a chart you’ll see that the two resulting curves overlap: as income declines, fertility declines too.

Then, there is another aspect, which is more subtle, psychologically more subtle. One of the numerous Nobel Laureates from the University of Chicago, late economist Gary Becker speaking about obesity and the diabetes ‘epidemic’ said that people are counting on medical progress to cure any ailments their extra weight might cause.

I believe the same holds true for couples who want to have a baby. They believe medicine can overcome the age barrier and the media contribute to that belief. People see on television or read in the press about celebrities or the couple next door having a child at an advanced age. Unless you explain them that in the vast majority of cases that has been possible through the use of donor eggs, women who do not know much about ovarian physiology may be misled to think they can postpone their decisiontohaveachildindefinitely.

Becoming sexually active at an early age and sexual promiscuity which increase the risk of STDs, smoking and substance abuse, unhealthy lifestyles that can lead to alterations in menstrual cycle and sperm formation are other factors that may cause infertility. Essentially, we are in what demographers call ‘a

demographic transition’ i.e. a stage when the fall in death rates is followed by the fall in birth rates.

fWhich new treatments and techniques does science provide to help infertile couples?

Certainly, over the past 25 years great progress has been made in reproduction technologies and infertility treatments. But first, let me say as anendocrinologist/andrologist that one of the main step forward in the past few years has been the increased awareness of the role of the male partner in infertile couples. Until recently the focus was mostly on women while the male partner had, at best, just semen analysis. Now, the role of the andrologist has become a central one. Thanks to sophisticated molecular biology and genetic testing, ultrasound and other techniques, we are now able to diagnose and often treat forms of infertility and even sterility that were previously thought to be untreatable. But we need to intervene early and take prevention measures in younger men and even in children. Assisted reproduction technologies have become much more sophisticated and the rate of successful full-term pregnancies has improved significantly. Molecular biology is helping uspinpoint with increasing accuracy when medical treatment, especially hormone therapy, is most appropriate and pharmaceutical companies are makinghugeeffortstoprovideuswithincreasinglysophisticated, purified safe treatments withconvenient administration routes.

fWhat advice would you give a couple with infertility problems today?

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First, consult a reproductive medicine specialist who has the expert knowledge to evaluate both partners in your couple and will give you correct information and advice. This will help you avoid that yourdifficulty turns intoadevastatingexperience.I said ‘devastating’ intentionally. It is proven, in fact, that a couple becoming aware of its infertility has the same psychological reaction of a person diagnosed with cancer. This gives you an idea of the psychological burden for the couple.

We, doctors and other healthcare providers, need to be particularly empathic to facilitate the journey for these couples who often react in a way that worsens the situation. I have already mentioned the mistake of having ‘targeted’ sex. One of the other common misconceptions is the belief that prolonged abstinence improves the quality of semen. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. The belief that certain “positions” increase the chances of getting pregnant is a myth too. And yet, we still often hear from female patients that they lie for a while after intercourse with their legs up or with a pillow underneath their bottom to improve their chances of becoming pregnant. This is stressful and brings nobenefit.

So, ultimately my advice is try and rationalise the event with the help of the right specialist, and, most of all, try to go back to having sex as naturally as possible. In fact, in spite of the great progress made by science, as the old adage goes, nature does things better than we humans do.

In conclusion, what it takes is communication,

information and prevention in the very young and younger generations, cultural forces and policies that encourage people to have a baby earlier in life and help couples with infertility problems with the knowledge, experience and human touch that their condition requires.

interview

ATTIVITA’

Attualità

The IBSA Foundation will continue to take initiatives to educate and promote science engaging the academia, administrations, hospitals and the general public.

appointments

2014 Calls for projectsYear-end is the deadline for submitting applications under the 2014 fellowship program. Worth €24,000 each, the fellowship awards will be given to investigators under 40 years of age on temporary contracts submitting the best research project in each of these 3 areas: endocrinology, fertility and pain management.

2015 Calls for proposalsForthethirdyearinarow,theIBSAFoundationconfirmsitssupporttoyounginvestigatorsthroughitsfellowship program. The calls for proposals under the 2015 fellowship program will be issued in the spring of 2015.

EFIC/IBSA Foundation Publication Award 2015For the second year in a row, in collaboration with the European Pain Federation (EFIC) the IBSA Foundation will sponsor the IBSA Foundation/EFIC Publication award. The €2,500 award is open to investigators under 40yearsofagefromalloverEuropewhopublishedasfirstauthoranoriginalresearcharticleonpaininaninternational journal in 2014.

Fellowship program

The next scheduled forums will be

Milano, 9 maggioSanRaffaeleConferenceCentreMilan, ItalySexual health andsexual ecology

September 26, 2015Università della Svizzera ItalianaLugano, Switzerland Cancer and Immunology

July 3, 2015University of SienaSiena, ItalyStress, inflammationand reproduction

special issue

THE FOUNDATION’S ACTIVITIES IN 2014

THE IBSA FOUNDATION EXPANDS ITS ACTIVITIES IN ITS SECOND YEAR IN OPERATION

Cell therapy is one of the most exciting areas of modern medicine. Scholars and scientists have been investigating increasingly innovative technologies using stem cells to replace irremediably damaged organs and tissues. While research has made great progress over the years, on the clinical front there is still a long way to go. Some 200 people, largely university students, researchers and medical specialists, attended the Forum titled “Stem cell therapy: hype or hope?” held at the Auditorium of Università della Svizzera italiana in Lugano, Switzerland, on Saturday March 29, 2014. Organised by the Fondazione IBSA for Scientific Research, the forum provided a major opportunity for discussing where stem cell science stands today and its true potential going forward.

The meeting featured an intense scientific program with presentations made by high-calibre speakers who shared the key findings of their research. Speakers included Paolo Bianco (Director, Stem Cell Research, La Sapienza University, Rome, Italy), Pierre Gonczy (Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, Lausanne, Switzerland), Shahragim Tajbakhsh (Director, Developmental & Stem Cell Biology Department, Pasteur Institute, Paris, France), Vania Broccoli (Head of the Stem Cells Research Unit, Neuroscience Division, San Raffaele Institute, Milan, Italy), Thomas Rando (Director, The Glenn Laboratories for the Biology of Aging, Stanford University School of Medicine, California, USA) and Austin Smith (Director, Wellcome Trust- Medical Research Council Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge University, UK). These world-class experts are driven by a common aspiration to be able to regenerate any damaged body parts and are fully aware that to develop and deliver effective therapies it is essential to get a full understanding of their benefits, limitations and risks.

“Stem cell therapy: Hype or Hope?”Where we stand and where we are going in stem cell therapy

forumSPECIAL ISSUE: THE IBSA FOUNDATION EXPANDS ITS ACTIVITIES IN ITS SECOND YEAR IN OPERATION

Held on Saturday June 21, 2014 at the Auditorium of Università della Svizzera italiana in Lugano, Switzerland, the Forum titled “Metabolic diseases and tendinopathies: the missing link” was organised by the IBSA Foundation in collaboration with ISMULT to stimulate further research into the relationship between metabolic conditions – that are often subclinical, hence not easily diagnosed - and alterations of the extracellular matrix in tendon diseases. The forum brought together some 150 members of the international scientific community including medical specialists, scientists and university students to discuss this topic. Tendon diseases adversely impact the quality of life of millions of people, yet their causes and healing mechanisms are still unknown. Opening the meeting, Professor Nicola Maffulli, Full Professor at the School of Medicine of the University of Salerno, Italy and Queen Mary University, London, UK, pointed out that despite the array of hypotheses that have been made, there is still a large number of factors affecting tendon health that remain entirely unknown. Recently, genetic factors have been largely discussed. Most certainly inherited genes or gene variants make some people more susceptible to these conditions, but the vast prevalence of metabolic disorders in the past few years has driven scientists to investigate the possible connection between metabolic problems and musculoskeletal diseases. The presentations delivered by high-calibre speakers including Isabel Andia (Cruces University Hospital, Barakaldo, Spain), Francesco Oliva (Tor Vergata University Rome, Italy), Andrew J. Carr (Oxford University, UK), Anna C. Berardi (Spirito Santo Hospital, Pescara, Italy), Michael Kjaer (University of Copenhagen. Denmark), Louis J. Soslowsky (University of Pennsylvania; USA), Antonio Frizziero (University of Padua, Italy), Jess G. Snedeker (University of Zurich, Switzerland), Professor Colao, University of Naples, Italy, and her team, stoke the discussion. The scientific sessions were moderated by Professor Michael Hirschmann (Department of Trauma & Orthopaedics, Kantonsspital Baselland, Bruderholz, Switzerland) and Dr. Christian Candrian (Canton Hospital System, Lugano, Switzerland) together with Professor Maffulli and Dr. Oliva.

“Metabolic diseases and tendinopathies: the missing link”Latest research on the connection between metabolic conditionsand the onset of tendon diseases

forumSPECIAL ISSUE: THE IBSA FOUNDATION EXPANDS ITS ACTIVITIES IN ITS SECOND YEAR IN OPERATION

(Director, Division of Cardiovascular Epigenetics, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany, and local organiser of the Forum), have discussed aging and related disorders on occasion of the Forum titled “Aging: is it a disease?” organised by the IBSA Foundation for scientific research and held on 27th September at Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany. With his overview of studies on cardiovascular aging conducted over the years at the internationally famed US institute on aging as well as at other international institutions where he has worked, Edward Lakatta (Chief, Laboratory of Cardiovascular Science, National Institute on Aging, NIH, Baltimore, MD, USA) generated a great deal of interest. The molecular and pathophysiology mechanisms underlying cellular senescence and aging in humans were discussed in the presentations made by leading experts in the field including Judith Campisi (Professor, Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, California, USA), Eric Verdin (Associate Director, Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA), Barbara Demeneix (Professor, National Research Centre and National Natural History Museum Paris, France), José-Arturo Londono Vallejo (CNRS-Research Director, Institute Curie, Paris, France) and Reinier Boon (Group Leader, Institute of Cardiovascular Regeneration, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany), Karl Lenhard Rudolph (Director, Leibniz Institute for Age Research, Jena, Germany) and the Dr. Bär (Senior Investigator, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre, Madrid, Spain). Tackling the themes to their full breadth, depth and complexity, the line-up of experts at the Forum included also Antonella Farsetti (Senior Investigator, Italy’s National Research Council, Rome, Italy, Visiting Scientist, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany, and member of the Forum Scientific Committee), Manuel Serrano (Director, Molecular Oncology Programme, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre, Madrid, Spain), Pier Giuseppe Pelicci (Director, Department of Experimental Oncology, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy), and Alessandro Cellerino (Professor, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, Italy) who illustrated the great contribution that experimental animal models give to improving understanding of the intrinsic mechanisms of aging and cancer and their potential prevention.

“Aging: is it a disease?”Leading international experts provided insights into how we can meet the challenge of living longer in good health

forumSPECIAL ISSUE: THE IBSA FOUNDATION EXPANDS ITS ACTIVITIES IN ITS SECOND YEAR IN OPERATION

Anna Scanu (rheumatology) and Jingjing Chen (dermatology) are the first in what hopefully over the years will become a long string of researchers winning the fellowships the IBSA Foundation for Scientific Research awards to support young investigators who work hard every day dividing their time between the lab and hospital wards. The entire IBSA Foundation chose to celebrate the winners at the award ceremony that was held on the April 23 at the Foundation’s HQ in Lugano, Switzerland.

The opening address was delivered by Silvia Misiti, Director of the IBSA Foundation, who again stressed the Foundation’s goal of being a recognised leader in quality science and scientific education and that, to that end, the Foundation backs young investigators and their ideas so that they can fully contribute to scientific progress. The awards were delivered to the winners by the Foundation’s Chairman Arturo Licenziati, who in his address underlined how important it is to support scientific research with tangible help, now more than ever.

The award ceremony was also attended by Flavio Cotti, past President of the Swiss Confederation, who congratulated the winners as well as the Ticino-based Foundation that with its work is taking the lead in scientific research and progress, winning international visibility and recognition.

Awards delivered to the first two winners of the Foundation’s Fellowships

fellowship programSPECIAL ISSUE: THE IBSA FOUNDATION EXPANDS ITS ACTIVITIES IN ITS SECOND YEAR IN OPERATION

Last May 26, 2014, during the EFIC Annual Council Meeting chaired by Professor Hans Kress (member of the Foundation scientific board) the award was delivered to the winner. European investigators under 40 years of age who published as first author an original research article on pain in an international journal in 2013 were eligible to apply for the 2014 EFIC-IBSA Foundation Publication Award worth €2,500.

The Executive Board and the Research Committee of the European Pain Federation (EFIC) selected the article “Parthenolide inhibits nociception and neurogenic vasodilatation in the trigeminovascular system by targeting the TRPA1 channel” published in 2013 in Pain, authored by the Italian investigator Serena Materazzi, Ph.D., Department of Health Sciences, Clinical Pharmacology and Oncology Unit, University of Florence.

2014 EFIC - IBSA Foundation Publication Award delivered to the winner

fellowship programSPECIAL ISSUE: THE IBSA FOUNDATION EXPANDS ITS ACTIVITIES IN ITS SECOND YEAR IN OPERATION

This is the title of the CENSIS survey commissioned by the IBSA Foundation to get deeper and broader insights than just medical stats. The findings reveal a much more varied picture of Italy’s public opinion and greater openness in the attitude of the Italian population than it was expected. Here are some of the main findings:

• Italians are divided when it comes to using donor eggs or sperm. 40% of respondents were favourable to use of donor gametes, 35% in favour of pre-implantation genetic diagnosis, 14% in favour of surrogacy and 9.5% of pre-conception sex selection.

• Beyond the traditional family. Having children is believed to be fair for single parents by 46% of those surveyed, and for same-sex couples by 29% of respondents.

• The economic crisis discourages people from having children. In the past year Italy’s birth rate declined further, down 3.7% to the lowest level ever. The economic crisis was cited as the main culprit, discouraging especially younger generations from having kids.

These are the main findings of the survey. They provide insights and food for thought about themes the Foundation intended to bring to public attention. We are therefore particularly glad of the broad media coverage the survey and its findings received.

“Becoming parents today. Report on fertility/infertility in Italy”

special activities

DIVENTARE GENITORI OGGIINDAGINE SULLA FERTILITÀ/INFERTILITÀ DI COPPIA

A cura di Maria Concetta VaccaroINDAGINE SULLA FERTILITÀ/INFERTILITÀ IN ITALIA

Senato della RepubblicaBiblioteca del Senato Giovanni Spadolini Sala degli Atti Parlamentari

Piazza della Minerva, 38 Roma Giovedì 3 luglio 2014, ore 10, 30

DIVENTARE GENITORI OGGI

SPECIAL ISSUE: THE IBSA FOUNDATION EXPANDS ITS ACTIVITIES IN ITS SECOND YEAR IN OPERATION

Our lives are increasingly intertwined with digital technologies. Social media are so popular and have become an integral part of our daily life, if nothing else, for the amount of time each of us spends using them, but also because these digital tools are no longer just means of communication, but true extension of our individuality in social interactions.

Given the prominence of the theme, the IBSA Foundation decided to promote together with Milan Cattolica University a meeting, bringing together social media experts and scholars to discuss the impact these technologies have on our lives and especially whether or not they change our identity.

The meeting titled “The human brain and social media: how are individuals changing?” was held on October 28, 2014 at Cattolica University, Milan, Italy. Moderated by Pierangelo Garzia speakers included IBSA Foundation Director Silvia Misiti, Gianni Riotta, Kate Davis and Giuseppe Riva. Together with his team Giuseppe Riva also conducted a research study supported by the IBSA Foundation on a viral phenomenon that involves our identity, the selfies. With this workshop the IBSA Foundation took a broader view to examine themes not just from the medical specialist vantage point which is what its forums and other scientific meetings do, but expanding the view to include their social implications and look into how they are shaping individuals and society as a whole.

“The human brain and social media: how are individuals changing?” Workshop held at Cattolica University, Milan, Italy

special activitiesSPECIAL ISSUE: THE IBSA FOUNDATION EXPANDS ITS ACTIVITIES IN ITS SECOND YEAR IN OPERATION