Congressman Regula visits national center he helped
create
Case, Cleveland Clinic, and University Hospitals
of Cleveland collaborate through National Center for Regenerative
Medicine
March 28, 2005 | For more information: George
Stamatis 216-368-3635
Congressman Ralph Regula (R-16th) of Ohio visited the National Center
for Regenerative Medicine in Cleveland on March 21. Regula was the driving
force behind establishing the center through a $4.5 million federal
appropriation to seed its development.
The center is a cooperative venture among the Case Western Reserve
University, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation and University Hospitals
of Cleveland. The center builds on existing excellence at the affiliated
institutions in heart disease, non-embryonic stem cell transplantation,
cancer, genetic disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases, such as multiple
sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease. This was Regula’s first
visit to the institutions since the passing of the appropriation bill
by Congress last November.
Congressman Regula's itinerary included stops at the Clinic's
Lerner Research Institute and Case and University
Hospital of Cleveland's Iris S. and Bert L. Wolstein
Research Building.
Following meetings with a patient from University
Hospitals of Cleveland whose life was saved from
a stem cell transplant, and doctors and scientists
who specialize in stem cell research and treatment,
the congressman discussed the progress at the center
with Edward M. Hundert, M.D., Case president; Ralph
I. Horwitz, M.D., dean of the School of Medicine;
Delos M. Cosgrove, M.D., president and chief executive
officer of The Cleveland Clinic; Eric J. Topol,
M.D., chief academic officer and chair of the
department of cardiovascular medicine at The Cleveland
Clinic and a professor of medicine
for the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
of Case Western Reserve University; Thomas
F. Zenty, III, chief executive officer of University
Hospitals Health System; and Fred C. Rothstein,
M.D., president and chief executive officer of
University Hospitals of Cleveland.
The center’s research facilities, located at Case, University
Hospitals of Cleveland and the Cleveland Clinic, will enable new non-embryonic
stem cell research discoveries to be translated into therapies that
can be used to treat thousands of patients each year. In addition, the
center’s education programs will train personnel such as nurses,
students, and technicians to perform groundbreaking research and deliver
the world’s foremost patient care.
Among the continuing research at the National Center for Regenerative
Medicine:
- Exploring the use of stem cells derived
from the umbilical cords of newborn babies
as a new, viable and effective source for cellular transplantation
for thousands of leukemia patients who would have no other treatment
option.
- Investigating the regeneration
of neurons and glial cells for the potential
treatment of spinal cord injuries, Alzheimer’s disease and multiple
sclerosis.
- Defining treatments using non-embryonic
stem cells to grow new blood vessels to replace
damaged ones, and having the potential to augment
conventional therapies such as artery bypass
grafting and angioplasty.
- Studying the use of non-embryonic stem cells to treat
musculoskeletal disorders that are caused
by degeneration or traumatic damage of bones
and cartilage, including degenerative joint disease, complex bone
fractures, dental disease, and severe skin disorders.
The director
of the National Center for Regenerative Medicine
is Stanton L. Gerson, M.D., who is the Shiverick Professor of
Hematological Oncology at the Case School of Medicine and director
of The Ireland Cancer Center at University Hospitals of Cleveland.
The co-director is Paul DiCorleto, Ph.D., who is the chairman
of the Lerner Research Institute of The Cleveland Clinic. In addition to the federal funding, Case, the Cleveland Clinic and
University Hospitals of Cleveland, along with Athersys,
Inc., and other research partners, have received
$19.5 million from the State of Ohio to create
the Wright Center of Innovation for Stem Cell and
Regenerative Medicine. The grant represents nearly
$10.9 million in funding from Ohio’s
Wright Capital Fund and $8.6 million from the state’s Biomedical
Research and Technology Transfer Fund.
The Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine and the
National Center for Regenerative Medicine are integrated and
focus, respectively, on the research and practical, clinical
aspects of regenerative medicine to treat human disease.
This funding represents an investment to make Cleveland a national
leader in nonembryonic stem cell research and regenerative medicine,
which in turn can help diversify the local and state economy which historically
has been reliant on manufacturing.
About Case Western Reserve University
Case is among the nation's leading research institutions. Founded in 1826
and shaped by the unique merger of the Case Institute of Technology and Western
Reserve University, Case is distinguished by its strengths in education, research,
service, and experiential learning. Located in Cleveland, Case offers nationally
recognized programs in the Arts and Sciences, Dental Medicine, Engineering,
Law, Management, Medicine, Nursing, and Social Work. http://www.case.edu.
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