The result of extensive research work, the center of excellence, inaugurated on Wednesday in the presence of Princess Anne, sister of King Charles III, is designed to advance the clinical development of new genetic treatments through the production of quality vectors. clinical, as well as translational support and regulatory advice.
Speaking at the inauguration of the center, marked by the presence of the Moroccan Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Hakim Hajoui, Professor Azzouz stressed that gene therapy is a promising therapeutic option for more than 7,000 rare and rare diseases. hereditary diseases which are currently incurable.
“Our goal is to provide patients with access to cutting-edge treatments that were previously unimaginable,” he said.
The Sheffield center, which also aims to expand research in gene therapy in the United Kingdom and around the world, aims to deepen knowledge of this type of therapy in order to develop new treatments for different diseases. To do this, the center relies on a network of researchers and partners from different regions of the United Kingdom.
The University of Sheffield is internationally recognized for its world-class research into neurodegenerative diseases. With laboratories, state-of-the-art equipment and an extensive clinical database, the university is now counted among the major players in gene therapy.
Holder of a doctorate in neuropharmacology from the Louis Pasteur University of Strasbourg, Professor Azzouz worked at the gene therapy center in Lausanne, Switzerland, before joining Oxford BioMedica plc in 2000 where he worked as a senior scientist and being named director of neurobiology in 2003.
He joined the University of Sheffield in 2006 where he worked in the chair of translational neuroscience, before heading the Department of Research and Innovation.
Author of several researches in the very specialized field of gene therapy and the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, the Moroccan researcher has received several international distinctions in recognition of his work.
2024-10-03 08:09:25