The British University of Sheffield (270 km north of London) has launched the Gene Therapy Innovation and Manufacturing Centre (GTIMC), led by Moroccan professor Mimoun Azzouz. The center of excellence, inaugurated on Wednesday in the presence of Princess Anne, sister of King Charles III, aims to advance the clinical development of new genetic treatments through the production of clinical-grade vectors, alongside translational support and regulatory advice. During the inauguration ceremony, which was attended by Morocco's ambassador to the UK, Hakim Hajoui, Professor Azzouz emphasized that gene therapy offers a promising treatment option for over 7,000 rare and hereditary diseases that currently have no cure. «Our goal is to provide patients with access to cutting-edge treatments that were previously unimaginable», Azzouz said. The Sheffield center also seeks to expand gene therapy research in the UK and globally, advancing knowledge in gene therapies to develop new treatments for various diseases. It achieves this by leveraging a network of researchers and partners across the UK. The University of Sheffield is internationally renowned for its world-class research into neurodegenerative diseases. With state-of-the-art laboratories, equipment, and an extensive clinical database, the university is now a major player in the field of gene therapy. Professor Azzouz holds a PhD in neuropharmacology from Université Louis Pasteur in Strasbourg. He previously worked at the gene therapy center in Lausanne, Switzerland, before joining Oxford BioMedica plc in 2000, where he served as a senior scientist and was appointed Director of Neurobiology in 2003. He joined the University of Sheffield in 2006, where he held the Chair of Translational Neuroscience before becoming Head of Research and Innovation. The Moroccan researcher has authored numerous research projects in gene therapy and neurodegenerative disease treatment and has received several international awards for his work.
