Celebrating 25 Years of the European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy.
Celebrating 25 Years of the European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy.
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庆祝欧洲基因与细胞治疗学会成立 25 周年。
DOI：
10.1089/hum.2017.29054.rra
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发表时间：
2017
影响因子：
4.2
通讯作者：
Ali RR
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Ali RR
今年，我们庆祝欧洲基因和细胞治疗学会（ESGCT; https：//www. esgct。eu/），世界上最古老的基因治疗协会。这是一个很好的机会，感谢我们所有的前任主席，董事会成员和积极的ESGCT成员对我们的社会和基因治疗的进步的支持。1991年4月，在法国由Michel Boiron和Odile Cohen-Haguenauer主持的一次国际研讨会上，建立一个旨在将基因治疗概念转化为药物的科学家联盟的想法得以实现。1992年1月，在世界上第一个基因治疗临床试验在马里兰州贝塞斯达开始后不到2年，欧洲人类基因转移和治疗工作组（EWGT）正式成立。创始成员已经明白，只有来自许多不同领域和具有不同专业知识的科学家和临床医生密切合作，相互讨论他们的结果并与监管机构讨论，并公开讨论该领域的挑战和局限性，基因治疗才能成为现实。在早期，协会成员数量大幅增加，对欧洲监管和融资机构的观点形成产生了重大影响。1998年，该协会将其名称从EWGT改为ESGCT，以反映建立一个更永久的组织，一个不断扩大的协会，而不是一个小型工作组，并在移植中使用基因修饰细胞。最近，我们的社会已经接受了干细胞革命。我们的许多成员也是基因和干细胞技术相结合的再生医学领域的先驱。这一点现在反映在我们与国际干细胞研究学会的密切合作中，我们与该学会组织了联合会议。我们社会最重要的特征之一是我们渴望真正国际化。我们的主要焦点当然是欧洲，我们的年会每年在不同的欧洲国家之间轮流举行。它们提供了一个论坛，介绍和讨论来自地球仪的最新成果，并提供了一个在欧洲内部建立网络和培养欧洲青年科学家的机会。通过与欧洲各国基因治疗学会、美国基因与细胞治疗学会、日本基因与细胞治疗学会的密切合作，我们的国际关系得到了进一步的发展。从本期的综述文章中可以看出，基因治疗终于开始实现它长期以来的承诺。ESGCT的成员在过去十年中取得了里程碑式的临床成功，其中包括原发性免疫缺陷、肾上腺脑白质营养不良、血友病和遗传性失明的基因治疗。因此，回顾25年，我们所有成员都应该为我们集体取得的成就感到自豪。虽然未来还有许多挑战，但如果过去25年的轨迹得以保持，我们可以期待基因治疗不仅仅是一种理论上的可能性，而是改善许多衰弱患者生活的有效方法。在ESGCT成立25周年之际，我们感谢我们社会许多长期成员的贡献，他们的奉献精神和愿景正在实现。
THIS YEAR, WE CELEBRATE the 25th anniversary of the European Society for Gene and Cell Therapy (ESGCT; https://www. esgct. eu/), the world’s oldest gene therapy society. It is a great occasion to thank all of our past presidents, board members, and active ESGCT members for their support of our society and the advancement of gene therapy. The idea of establishing a consortium of scientists who were aiming to translate the concept of gene therapy into medicines materialized in April 1991 at an international symposium in France hosted by Michel Boiron and Odile Cohen-Haguenauer. In January 1992, less than 2 years after the start of the world’s first gene therapy clinical trial in Bethesda, MD, the European Working Group on Human Gene Transfer and Therapy (EWGT) was officially founded. Already, the founding members understood that gene therapy would only become a reality if scientists and clinicians from many different fields and with diverse expertise collaborated closely, discussed their results with each other and with regulators, and openly discussed the challenges and limitations within the field. The early years saw an impressive rise in membership, and the society had a major influence on shaping the views of regulatory as well as funding bodies within Europe. In 1998, the society changed its name from the EWGT to the ESGCT to reflect the establishment of a more permanent organization, an expanding society rather than a small working group, and the use of gene-modified cells in transplantation. More recently, our society has embraced the stem-cell revolution. Many of our members are also pioneers in the field of regenerative medicine in which gene and stem-cell technologies are combined. This is now reflected in our close collaboration with the International Society of Stem Cell Research with whom we organize joint meetings. One of the most important features of our society is our desire to be truly international. Our primary focus is of course European, and our annual meetings rotate each year between different European countries. They provide a forum to present and discuss the latest results from across the globe, as well as an opportunity for networking within Europe and the fostering of young European scientists. The close interaction with the many European national gene therapy societies and the American Society for Gene and Cell Therapy and the Japanese Society for Gene and Cell Therapy extend our international connections.As exemplified by review articles in this special issue, gene therapy is at last starting to deliver on its now rather long-held promise. Members of the ESGCT have been instrumental in the landmark clinical successes over the last decade, which include, among others, gene therapy for primary immunodeficiencies, adrenoleukodystrophy, hemophilia, and inherited blindness. Thus, looking back on 25 years, all of our members should be proud of what we have achieved collectively. While many challenges lie ahead, if the trajectory of the last 25 years is maintained, we can look forward to a future where gene therapy is not just a theoretical possibility but an effective way to improve the lives of many patients with debilitating conditions. On the 25th anniversary of the ESGCT, we recognize the contribution of the many long-standing members of our society whose dedication and vision is now being realized.