Columbia University Medical Center researchers are at the forefront of an extraordinary movement to revolutionize medical approaches to therapeutics through its Stem Cell Initiative. Columbia's leadership in developmental biology, neuroscience research, transplantation, and cell replacement therapy uniquely positions the university to push stem cell research forward, and more than 40 CUMC researchers are currently conducting leading stem cell studies.
"This initiative will provide our researchers with the resources necessary to fully realize the potential of stem cells," said Gerald D. Fischbach, M.D., executive vice president of Columbia University Medical Center and dean of the faculty of medicine at Columbia's College of Physicians and Surgeons. "Columbia continues to be a leader in this revolutionary health technology that holds the promise to benefit people suffering from a wide variety of debilitating health problems."
Federal restrictions on human embryonic stem cell research funding and lagging state funds have limited available government support for this emerging and promising research, prompting CUMC to reach out to the private sector with this crucial stem cell initiative.
CUMC researchers are currently exploring the vast potential of stem cells to treat a wide range of illnesses, including Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), diabetes, pancreatic cancer, leukemia, stroke and other diseases of the nervous system, liver, eye, skin, and heart. Beyond replacement therapy, the use of stem cells as a research tool will lead to new insights regarding mechanisms that control the onset and progression of disease. Stem cells will also be useful as targets in drug discovery. Current stem cell research projects at CUMC include:
"In the last several years scientists have managed to unlock many of the secrets behind stem cells and their remarkable ability to develop into different kinds of cells, but there is still much to learn," said Asa Abeliovich, M.D., Ph.D., whose research is focused on developing stem cells to replace dopamine neurons lost in Parkinson's disease or models to mimic the degeneration process. "The resources provided by Columbia's stem cell initiative will help us answer those questions and translate this research into practical applications for many our most devastating diseases."
The initial $50 million for the Columbia Stem Cell Initiative will enable Columbia to outfit a new stem cell center, construct a state-of-the-art facility to produce cells for experimental and therapeutic use, and establish a separate laboratory dedicated to growing new human embryonic stem cells for new studies. It will also support the recruitment and retention of internationally renowned stem cell biologists and establish endowments for professorships for Columbia's stem cell physicians and scientists as well as scholarships for doctoral candidates and post-doctoral fellows focused on stem cell studies.
Columbia University Medical Center provides international leadership in basic, pre-clinical and clinical research, medical education, and health care. The medical center trains future leaders in health care and includes the dedicated work of many physicians, scientists, nurses, dentists, and other health professionals at the College of Physicians & Surgeons, the School of Dental & Oral Surgery, the School of Nursing, the Mailman School of Public Health, the biomedical departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and allied research centers and institutions. With a strong history of some of the most important advances and discoveries in health care, its researchers are leading the development of novel therapies and advances to address a wide range of health conditions. www.cumc.columbia.edu.