The Fondazione MultiMedica ONLUS was established in 2004 with the aim of promoting and supporting scientific research, training and encouraging the return of Italian researchers working abroad, through the provision of research bursaries.
 
To achieve these objectivies, the Foundation aims to:

• carry out research activity funded by grants or research contracts or independently, or together to deserving researches and qualified scientific  institutions;
• promote  scientific meetings and congresses, conferences, seminars, exhibitions;
• establish scientific libraries and databases;
• disseminate scientific and technical knowledge in the various branches of science.

In accordance with that mission, the Foundation Onlus MultiMedica is one of the partners of the research project Superpig, as part of the subproject 3 - Regenerative Medicine - pursuing the following objectives:

• Differentiation of hematopoietic porcine stem cells towards the erythroid and endothelial lineage.
• Generation of cardiomyocytes derived from iPS: definition of methods for  differentiation and in vivo functional analysis in models of chronic heart failure.

Dr. Roberto Rizzi is the Scientific coordinator.
Dr. Rizzi during his experience abroad at the New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (Research Group of Prof. Piero Anversa) participated in the identification of a population of cardiac progenitor cells (HCPc), acquiring a deep knowledge in the field of stem cell biology, isolating, expanding and characterizing the HCPc. Furthermore, his research has been focused on the identification of the role of intracellular calcium in the processes of division and cardiac commitment of the HCPc. In 2008, Dr. Rizzi moved to the National Research Council collaborating with MultiMedica team and he has gained experience on the reprogramming of differentiated adult cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) integrating different approaches and using different cell types (skin and cardiac fibroblasts, cardiomyocytes). The combination of previous and current experience is needed to successfully develop the ongoing project.
 
Dr Rizzi is supported by a qualified team:

Dr. Claudia Bearzi supports Dr. Rizzi in the coordination and planning of the project. She also is involved in the experimental activity: generating lentiviral vector; generation of iPS cells and their differentation methods towards the cardiomyocyte line; optimization of protocols for cardiac differentiation from induced pluripotent cells.
 
Dr. Barbara Gargano, PostDoc with experience in molecular biology, is working on the characterization and in vitro validation of results through molecular biology techniques.

Dr. Alessandra Castaldi is working on the validation of the successful  and complete reprogramming of different cell lines in animal models.

The scientific expertise of Dr. Elisa Di Pasquale have allowed the characterization of the antigens responsible for mesodermal commitment and implementation of methodologies for cardiac differentiation.

Prof Madeddu, international leader in the field of regenerative medicine, with experience gained in the analysis of subpopulations of circulating and bone marrow cells with proangiogenic activity. He is coordinating the activities aimed at the study of the differentiation of hematopoietic cells to the erythroid and endothelial phenotype. 

Dr. Spinetti and Dr. Sangalli research activity involves the isolation, culture and characterization of hematopoietic cells from swine bone marrow.