Hans-Peter Kiem

Hans-Peter Kiem is an oncologist and world-renowned pioneer in stem cell and gene therapy and in the development of new gene-editing technologies. His research has focused on the biology and transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and on the development of technologies to expand and/or genetically modify HSCs for the treatment of infectious diseases such as HIV, genetic diseases and cancer. In addition, his lab has focused on the development of improved treatment and curative approaches for patients with genetic and infectious diseases or cancer. For gene editing, his lab works on the design and selection of enzymes, which include CRISPR/Cas. By combining gene therapy’s ability to repair problem-causing genes and stem cells’ regenerative capabilities, he hopes to achieve cures of diseases as diverse as HIV, leukemia and brain cancer. With preclinical models of HIV, Hans-Peter and his colleagues have demonstrated that they can modify a key viral entry gene and prevent it from working in transplanted blood stem cells. He hopes to apply these technologies to cure genetic blood disorders such as Fanconi anemia and sickle cell disease. He is also pioneering "in vivo" gene therapy approaches to make gene therapy and gene editing more broadly available and accessible to patients and those living with HIV, especially in resource-limited settings.