JEDDAH: Researchers and physicians will examine how cell and gene therapies can be translated into clinical treatments at the Second Stem Cell Therapy Conference, hosted by Alfaisal University in Riyadh from Oct. 23-24. Held under the theme “Stem Cell Therapy: A Paradigm Shift in Treatment and Its Role in Regenerative Medicine,” the event will bring together researchers, physicians, specialists and innovators to discuss scientific advances, clinical applications and emerging treatments. The scientific program will cover stem cell biology, mechanisms of regeneration, cell-based therapies and clinical trials, including safety and efficacy standards. Sessions will also examine gene therapy, cell engineering and gene-editing technologies such as clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats. Precision medicine and genomics will be among the main topics, with discussions on using genetic information to select patients and tailor treatments. Other sessions will explore tissue engineering, biomaterials and organoids. Participants will consider the role of artificial intelligence and bioinformatics in analyzing cellular and genetic data and supporting research and development. Ethical and regulatory issues will also feature, including governance, informed consent and quality assurance. Sessions will address biobanking, sample preservation and linking clinical data with genetic information. The conference will explore practical steps to turn scientific discoveries into treatments, including technology transfer, intellectual property protection, manufacturing and scaling up the production of cell and gene therapies. It aims to strengthen collaboration across disciplines and support the development of safe and effective clinical applications that expand treatment options and improve patient care. Alfaisal University hosted the inaugural International Stem Cell Therapy Conference in Riyadh in September last year. Its scientific committee was chaired by Prof. Ahmad Al-Askari, CEO of King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, and included Prof. Khalid Mana Al-Qattan, dean of medicine at Alfaisal University and chair of the National Stem Cell Committee. The second edition comes amid advances in the local production of cell therapies. In June 2024, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre became the first hospital in the Kingdom to manufacture therapeutic T-cells locally, reducing the cost of CAR-T treatment by about 80 percent, from SR1.3 million ($346,667) to around SR250,000. Manufacturing time fell from 21–28 days to 14 days. In October 2025, the hospital announced that its first patient had received locally manufactured CAR-T therapy. Gene therapy and genomics are among the four priority areas of the National Biotechnology Strategy, launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in January 2024. The strategy aims to position Saudi Arabia as a regional biotechnology leader by 2030 and a global leader by 2040, with the sector contributing 3 percent of non-oil gross domestic product and generating an economic impact of SR130 billion.