Casa Sollievo Della Sofferenza is a highly specialized hospital established as a non-profit foundation, recognized by the Ministry of Health as a Scientific Institute for Research, Hospitalization and Healthcare (IRCCS) in the field of “Genetic diseases, innovative therapies and regenerative medicine.”

It is one of the largest hospitals in southern Italy, with an average of 57,000 patients per year. The hospital is organized in nine departments (40 clinical units): Cardiology/Vascular, Emergency Medicine, Developmental Age, Onco-Hematology, Laboratory Diagnosis, Surgical Sciences, Medical Sciences, Radiological Sciences, and Head and Neck. According to the best available scientific evidence, to guarantee the best multi-specialist healthcare to the patient, a healthcare organization has been established in UNIT: Lung Unit, Breast Unit and Head-Neck Unit.

It has 2500 employees, of which more than 150 (physicians, biologists and technicians) are regularly involved in scientific research. Researchers publish about 200 scientific articles in the most renowned journals (Science, New England Journal of Medicine, Nature Genetics) every year. They are engaged both as Principal Investigators and as partners in research projects in the biomedical field and ICT, obtaining funding from the EU (H2020 and FP7) and national or regional calls. The research laboratories of IRCCS Casa Sollievo Della Sofferenza are located over 8700 square meters and equipped for medical genetic studies, innovative therapies, and regenerative medicine.

Each research laboratory has essential implements for extracting, quantifying, amplifying, and analyzing nucleic acids, such as sequencers and real-time PCR platforms, and devices for in vitro studies such as biological hoods for cell cultures and CO2 incubators. The main instruments are centralized in cross-research facilities: Illumina NextSeq 500, Illumina MiSeq and Thermo Fischer Scientific Ion S5 (sequencing), Leica TCS SP8 confocal microscope (confocal microscopy) and Beckman Astrios EQ cell sorter (cytofluorimetry).

The newly opened Institute for Rehabilitation Medicine (ISBReMIT) consists of several laboratories for clinical-grade neural stem cell production and biopolymer synthesis. There is an enclosure for in vivo studies (mouse and rat) equipped with Perkin Elmer IVIS Spectrum CT in the same institute.

To support researchers, a Grant Office, Clinical Trial Office, Bioinformatics Unit, Biostatistics Unit and Cellular Reprogramming Unit are operational to the Scientific Director. Today, the Institute has 47 active scientific research projects funded in response to competitive calls from the European Union, non-profit foundations, regional calls and the Ministry of Health.

The Institute maintains high levels of quality and is ISO 9001/2015 certified.