TISTR International Conference Showcases Next-Generation ‘Bench-to-Bedside’ Solutions in Stem Cells and Extracellular Vesicles

BANGKOK, THAILAND — On June 8, 2026, the Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research (TISTR), through its Life Sciences Industrial Research and Development Group, successfully hosted the TISTR International Conference 2026: Advancing Stem Cell and Extracellular Vesicle Technologies for Human Health. Held at the Main Conference Room (5th Floor, Admin Building) at Technopolis in Pathum Thani, the landmark event established a vital collaborative bridge between prominent Singaporean biotech innovators and Thailand's scientific community to showcase complete "bench-to-bedside" clinical solutions.

The conference successfully addressed critical industry bottlenecks by aligning academic breakthroughs with global Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards, fostering a powerful regional network across research, industry, and regulatory sectors to drive cell therapies into ASEAN clinical pipelines.

Keynote Highlights: Driving Innovation from Bench to Clinic

The conference featured a series of high-impact technical sessions led by top-tier international experts detailing scalable cellular engineering and therapeutic translation:

• Clinical Translation of Non-Viral Delivery: In Session 1 (Cell Therapy – From Bench to Clinic), Woo Jun Yung representing AGEMBio delivered Keynote Lecture 1: "Towards a Phase I Clinical Trial: Development of AGEM-102 from Preclinical Studies to GMP Manufacturing," presenting a safer, efficient paradigm for clinical-grade cellular engineering.

• Harnessing Milk EVs: In Session 2, Raphael Cedric Enrique Diputado from IZON Science presented Keynote Lecture 2: "Harnessing the Potential of Milk Extracellular Vesicles: Therapy, Nutrition, and Beyond," revealing new frontiers in non-invasive drug delivery and nutrition.

• Industrial Scale-Up and CMC: In Session 3 (EV Manufacturing), Dr. Li Yijia from IZON Science delivered Keynote Lecture 3: "From Bench to Bioreactor: A Process, Characterization, and CMC Perspective on EV Manufacturing," tackling the crucial Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls (CMC) frameworks necessary for commercial standardization.

• Next-Generation EV Therapeutics: In Session 4, Dr. Seow Wei Qiang from Eureva Bioscience presented Keynote Lecture 4: "Exosomes in Wellness and Therapeutics: iPSC-Derived Exosomes across Cardiometabolic Conditions," exploring specific clinical applications for induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived therapies.

• Hair Follicle Regeneration: The final session concluded with Keynote Lecture 5 by Dr. Aritaj Aiumtrakul on "Next-Generation Cellular Therapies: Enhancing Follicular Signaling for Hair Follicle Regeneration."

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Intensive Two-Day Technical Workshops at TISTR Lab

Following the key scientific sessions, the event transitioned into an immersive, two-day workshop in the TISTR lab from June 9–10. These hands-on sessions provided participants with practical execution workflows for advanced regenerative medicine and bio-analytics:

• Milk-Derived EVs: Utilizing IZON’s signature qEV isolation columns and Tunable Resistive Pulse Sensing (TRPS) technology, experts walked attendees through specialized isolation and single-vesicle characterization methodologies applied to milk-derived EVs in order to isolate milk EVs in higher yield.

• NK (Natural Killer) Cell Workshop: A dedicated, specialized technical workshop conducted by Kohjin Bio gave delegates hands-on training in advanced immunotherapeutic processing, focusing on high-efficiency expansion protocols, cell culture optimization, and quality control metrics required for research-grade NK cell production.

Cedric Diputado conducts a Milk EV workshop utilizing Exoid TRPS for nanoparticle analysis, observed closely by participants.

Pan Hui from Kohjin Bio conducting a hands-on NK cell workshop, training researchers in a laboratory setting.

Honoring Regional Scientific Collaboration

The success of the event was anchored by an elite delegation of invited scientific experts and speakers traveling from Singapore. Organizers express their deepest gratitude to speakers accepting the invitation, delivering high-impact presentations, and sharing vital regional insights that will inevitably drive Southeast Asia's biomedical ecosystem forward.

"Moving cell and vesicle therapies successfully from the laboratory bench to a patient's bedside requires extreme cross-border collaboration and robust engineering pipelines," noted Daniel Toh, Director of Atlantis Bioscience, who served as a co-organizer of these events.

"By combining TISTR’s local ecosystem with Singapore's premier technological and academic expertise, we are paving a clear, standardized translational path toward viable commercial regenerative therapies."

TISTR and its co-organizing partners extend their thanks to all regional research institutes, industry stakeholders, and participants who contributed to this momentous event.

Representatives from TISTR, Atlantis Bioscience, Izon Science, and AgemBio gather for a group photo at the TISTR International Conference 2026.