Michele DE LUCA

**Michele DE LUCA** is a **Full Professor** at the **University of Modena and Reggio Emilia**, affiliated with the **Department of Life Sciences (former Biomedical Sciences)**. His research focuses on **gene therapy**, **epidermal stem cell biology**, and **regenerative medicine**, particularly targeting genetic skin disorders like **epidermolysis bullosa (EB)** and **lamellar ichthyosis**. He leads clinical trials (e.g., Hologene 5) and pioneered **ex vivo gene-corrected epidermal stem cell transplantation**, enabling long-term skin regeneration in severe cases. His work integrates **CRISPR/Cas9 editing**, **transcriptomics**, and **epigenetic studies** to advance therapeutic strategies for **genodermatoses**.

**Education & Research**: DE LUCA’s expertise spans **molecular biology**, **cellular models**, and **clinical translation** of stem cell therapies. His lab develops tools like **AlPaCas** (CRISPR allele-specific editing) and investigates mechanisms like **FOXM1/YAP signaling** in epidermal stem cell regulation. He collaborates internationally on **protein replacement therapies** and **cellular reprogramming**.

**Publications**: Over 150 articles (2024–2009) highlight his contributions to **gene therapy efficacy**, **epithelial engineering**, and **clinical outcomes**. Notable works include *Regeneration of the entire human epidermis* (2018), *Allele-specific CRISPR editing* (2024), and *FOXM1-dependent histone regulation* (2024).

**Awards & Grants**: Though no explicit awards listed, his work received EU funding for trials and **Holoclar** (first EU-approved stem cell therapy). He advocates for **regulatory compliance** in advanced therapies and critiques unproven stem cell interventions.

**Labs & Teams**: Leads interdisciplinary teams at the **University of Modena**, collaborating with clinicians, engineers, and bioinformaticians. Focus areas include **next-generation sequencing for EB diagnosis** and **3D skin equivalents** for preclinical testing.