Francesc Marti
Associate Professor University of Kentucky
Francesc Marti, PhD, the associate professor of surgery and Chief of the Cell Immunotherapy Program in the Transplant Center at the University of Kentucky, leading the translational research program responsible for manufacturing Treg cells for clinical application. His research is focused on cellular and molecular mechanisms controlling the plasticity in lineage fate determination of T cells, development and function of regulatory T cells, and transplant tolerance, obesity and tumor immunology. He is co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of TOLERAS LLC.
Seminars
- Objective & Innovation: Introducing a novel strategy using normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) as a platform for organ-directed delivery of Treg cells prior to transplantation
- Methodology: Developing proprietary reagents for rapid activation of Treg cells and perfusate enhancement to preserve Treg functionality and support liver metabolic stability during the NMP procedure
- Key Findings: Successful procedural efficacy (Treg infiltration) and organ (liver) functional integrity after NMP/Treg treatment
- Clinical Implications: Establishing a new therapeutic niche for organ-specific cellular immunotherapy prior to transplantation, with the potential to reduce reliance on long term systemic immunosuppression