The laboratory builds upon City of Hope’s legacy of stem cell
innovations, including its leading bone marrow/stem cell transplant
program and cancer immunotherapy research
City of Hope®, one of the largest cancer research and treatment
organizations in the United States, has been awarded $5.4 million
from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) to
build and fund a stem cell research laboratory on its Duarte,
California, campus that will further expand its scientific
capabilities.
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From left to right the laboratory team
includes Mark LaBarge, Ph.D., professor of population sciences;
John Termini, Ph.D., professor of cancer biology and molecular
medicine; Nadia Carlesso, Ph.D., chair of stem cell biology and
regenerative medicine; Yanhong Shi, Ph.D., chair of
neurodegenerative diseases and Herbert Horvitz Professor in
Neuroscience; June-Wha Rhee, M.D., assistant professor of
cardiology. Not pictured is Michael Barish, Ph.D., professor of
stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. (Photo: City of
Hope)
The mission of the unique Stem Cell-Based Disease Modeling
Laboratory is two-fold. First, it will advance stem cell-based
disease modeling to spur innovation in regenerative medicine. The
laboratory leverages City of Hope’s infrastructure and expertise
using human cell-derived organoids — a key focus in current efforts
to create disease models relevant to understanding biological
mechanisms that often lead to new therapies. In particular, the
laboratory will supply healthy and cancerous stem cell-based models
in brain, heart and breast tissue to the region’s scientists for
research.
Second, it will stimulate stem cell research in medically
underserved communities by increasing scientists’ access to
specialized laboratory equipment services, and training and by
educating students about regenerative medicine.
“Our new laboratory will expand access to state-of-the-art
disease models to researchers at City of Hope and our neighboring
institutions, enabling them to pursue impactful scientific
questions and to accelerate innovation in stem cell therapies,”
said program director Nadia Carlesso, Ph.D., City of Hope’s chair
of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. “This will
accelerate research in regenerative medicine, benefiting patients
and researchers throughout California. We also aim to plant the
seed for future careers in regenerative medicine by educating
students about the field.”
Carlesso’s team will focus on Southern California regions, such
as the Inland Empire, which is home to some of the fastest growing,
low-income communities that face greater health issues and have
access to fewer physicians.
“It is important to emphasize that innovative biomedical
research flourishes when people with different perspectives,
experience and skills are empowered to explore new ideas and to
work collaboratively and inclusively,” Carlesso said. “Thus,
recruiting, training, retaining and nurturing a workforce
representing all dimensions of diversity is critical for the
development and implementation of leading-edge therapies that can
reach underserved populations.”
To this end, a 22-person educational team will educate community
physicians, researchers and students on how to use stem cell
disease models with the goal of cultivating California’s future
workforce in regenerative medicine. These programs will partner
with higher education institutes in the Inland Empire and with K‑12
school districts in Duarte, Monrovia, Charter Oak and Azusa, as
well as provide hands-on training to undergraduate/graduate
students, postdoctoral fellows, researchers and others.
“We are eager to introduce more people to the exciting world of
stem cell research and shape their vision for future jobs in
science,” said co-program director John Termini, Ph.D., professor
of cancer biology and molecular medicine at City of Hope. “Our
workshops will explore how to apply the field’s techniques and
examine diverse approaches to solving medical problems.”
“Long-term activities supported by the laboratory will
accelerate research in regenerative medicine, benefiting patients
and researchers throughout California,” said Carlesso, who is also
associate director of basic research at the Gehr Family Center for
Leukemia Research at Beckman Research Institute of City of
Hope.
Led by Carlesso and Termini, the laboratory team includes
Michael Barish, Ph.D., professor of stem cell biology and
regenerative medicine; Mark LaBarge, Ph.D., professor of population
sciences; June-Wha Rhee, M.D., assistant professor of cardiology;
and Yanhong Shi, Ph.D., chair of neurodegenerative diseases and
Herbert Horvitz Professor in Neuroscience.
The grant to Carlesso’s team adds to the more than $212 million
that Beckman Research Institute at City of Hope has received from
CIRM to date, indicating the state-funded agency’s support of City
of Hope’s long-standing leadership in stem cell-related
therapies.
As a biomedical institution, City of Hope holds deep expertise
in developmental and stem cell biology, resulting in strong
clinical programs in bone marrow transplantation, cancer
immunotherapy and gene therapy research to correct genetic defects,
as well as cell replacement and tissue regeneration strategies to
potentially treat diabetes.
The Stem Cell-Based Disease Modeling Laboratory will operate in
a renovated space that will assemble state-of-the-art instruments
and technologies and centralize the generation and establishment of
organoid models. It joins a wealth of City of Hope core resources,
including Biostatistics & Mathematical Oncology and Gene
Editing and Viral Vector cores, to both advance science and train
others in subspecialized scientific areas.
About City of Hope
City of Hope's mission is to make hope a reality for all touched
by cancer and diabetes. Founded in 1913, City of Hope has grown
into one of the largest cancer research and treatment organizations
in the U.S. and one of the leading research centers for diabetes
and other life-threatening illnesses. City of Hope research has
been the basis for numerous breakthrough cancer medicines, as well
as human synthetic insulin and monoclonal antibodies. With an
independent, National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive
cancer center at its core, City of Hope brings a uniquely
integrated model to patients spanning cancer care, research and
development, academics and training, and innovation initiatives.
City of Hope’s growing national system includes its Los Angeles
campus, a network of clinical care locations across Southern
California, a new cancer center in Orange County, California, and
cancer treatment centers and outpatient facilities in the Atlanta,
Chicago and Phoenix areas. City of Hope’s affiliated group of
organizations includes Translational Genomics Research Institute
and AccessHopeTM. For more information about City of Hope, follow
us on Facebook, X, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.
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Letisia Marquez lemarquez@coh.org 626-476-7593