The closing day on Saturday will also feature Fazel A. Monikh from the University of Padua, who will address the uncertainties of the journey of micro-nanoplastics through the human body.
Padua, March 14, 2025 – Organoids, miniature replicas of human organs and tissues created in vitro, are among the highlights of the second day of the World Health Forum, with as many as nine sessions at the Padova Congress center. “The World Health Forum is an event strongly supported by the Veneto Region,” stated Manuela Lanzarin, Regional Health Councillor of Veneto, opening the day’s discussions in the morning, “and by the organizing bodies to focus on health, healthcare, the ‘one health’ approach, and above all, the individual. Veneto is not only the cradle of modern medicine but also represents excellence in the healthcare system. In this second edition, we are addressing the challenges of an aging population, chronic diseases, and new pathologies from a complete perspective, integrating environmental and animal factors into a single shared vision with the scientific community, universities, and institutions. Padua and Veneto are thus positioning themselves as a laboratory of innovation, capable of keeping up with the new frontiers of medicine.”
During the second session, the topic of “Organoids and scaffolds: new 3D models to understand human diseases” was discussed with contributions from Paolo De Coppi, Chief of Pediatric Surgery at University College London Great Ormond Institute of Child Health, and Nicola Elvassore, from the Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine (VIMM) and Professor at the Department of Industrial Engineering of the University of Padua. “Recently, we have isolated stem cells from amniotic fluid,” explains De Coppi, “these cells are capable of forming organoids, meaning small organs that represent those of the fetus. For example, we can build a small developing fetal lung in vitro. In the future, we may be able to tell parents how that lung will function once the baby is born. In fact, when it comes to lungs, they do not function before birth, as it is the placenta that provides the fetus with oxygen and all the nutrients it needs, so the baby begins to use its lungs only at birth with the first breath.”
“In prenatal diagnosis,” continues De Coppi, “imaging techniques such as ultrasound or MRI are currently used, but these tools do not allow us to understand how fetal organs may function, because some of them only become active at birth. Organoids, in some way, represent that organ before it starts functioning. For this reason, they can be used as a form of prenatal screening, because nowadays only MRI can define a genetic malformation or determine gene expression in the fetus,” concludes the professor. “A specific pathology for which these tools can be useful is diaphragmatic hernia, which occurs when babies are diagnosed with a hole in the diaphragm. In the presence of this defect, the intestine moves up into the chest, compressing the lung, which then fails to develop properly. We know that 30% of children affected by this condition do not survive, but through organoids, we can somehow understand the lung’s functions before it comes to life.”
“At the World Health Forum Veneto, I presented ongoing research on organoids,” explains Elvassore, “a word that refers to a miniature organ. We generate these models to reproduce certain characteristics of a patient, as any human organ is potentially reproducible. Once we understand what happens inside it and the dynamics of the developing processes, we are able to identify what is not functioning properly and intervene in a targeted manner.”
“In particular,” Elvassore continues, “we are applying organoids to the study of a genetically derived form of autism, Fragile X Syndrome, simulating what happens in the early stages of brain development. In organoids, we have confirmed some characteristics already observed in adult patients, such as synaptic protein dysregulation, but we have also identified some dysregulated targets that were previously unknown. In this specific case, therefore, the organoid is used to generate hypotheses about the pathogenesis, that is, the initial phase of the disease.”
The topics discussed during the day also included “From precision medicine to investments in high-tech enterprises”: “A very important discussion,” states Giorgio Palù, Emeritus Professor at the University of Padua, President of the Veneto Tissue Bank Foundation ETS, and Chairman of the Scientific Committee leading the Forum, “which involves civil society in innovations in technology and science to create new enterprises. The biomedical-pharmaceutical industry is one of the most innovative in the world, generating 50 billion euros in revenue per year in Italy alone.”
Closing the second day of the Forum at 8:45 PM, the concert of the OPV - Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto, performing Gustav Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony.
The Program for Saturday, March 15
The final day of the World Health Forum Veneto, Saturday, March 15, begins with the first session at 8:30 AM on pathogenesis, featuring talks by Guido Silvestri from Emory University School of Medicine on “Immunological Approaches for HIV Eradication” and Aldo Scarpa from the University of Verona on “Navigating Modern Pathology in the Era of Precision Medicine.” Fazel A. Monikh from the University of Padua will discuss the journey of micro-nanoplastics through the human body, while Giuseppe Paolisso from the University of Campania 'Luigi Vanvitelli' will explore the correlation with cardiovascular diseases. Moderators: Umberto Cillo from the University of Padua and Lucia Zanatta from the Triveneto Biologists' Association.
The second session, “From Viruses as Enemies to Therapeutic Agents: The Bright Side of the Moon”, begins at 10:15 AM, featuring speakers Joseph Glorioso from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Arianna Calistri from the University of Padua, Antonio Chiocca from Harvard Medical School, Fulvio Mavilio from the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia and Orchard Therapeutics London, Rino Rappuoli from Fondazione Biotecnopolo and Antipandemic Hub Siena, and Luigi Naldini from San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy. Moderators: Fabio Mammano from the University of Padua and Paula Cannon from the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine.
At 12:50 PM, the event will conclude with a discussion of a WHFV declaration promoting health science, with interventions from Silvio Brusaferro (University of Udine), Franco Foresta Martin (Journalist and TV Author), Giorgio Palù (University of Padua), Caterina Pastori (Scientific Committee of the Veneto Region General Medicine Training School), and Rosario Rizzuto (University of Padua). The closing remarks will be delivered by Veneto Health Councillor Manuela Lanzarin and Alfredo Guglielmi from the University of Verona.
Registration and Social Media Channels
Registrations for the three-day event are open and completely free on the website: https://worldhealthforum.it/il-programma-2025. Social media channels for the World Health Forum 2025 are also active, including Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/whfveneto), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/worldhealthforumveneto), X (https://twitter.com/WHFVeneto), and Threads (https://www.threads.net/@whfveneto).
Promoters
The event is promoted by the Veneto Region, the Municipality of Padua, the University of Padua, the Chamber of Commerce of Padua, and the Cariparo Foundation, in collaboration with the Public Health School Foundation and Venicepromex.
The World Health Forum Veneto offers three days of high-level meetings and events, analyzing the present and exploring the future of medical sciences and technologies aimed at improving lives. The Forum addresses some of the most pressing health issues while fostering public awareness for overall well-being. These are the objectives of the World Health Forum Veneto, a free event open to all: healthcare professionals, experts, students, and citizens.
The World Health Forum Veneto is born with a specific purpose: to analyze the present and delve into the future of medical sciences and technologies that can improve life.
