NIH selects Burnham Institute for Exploratory Center for Human Embryonic Stem Ce

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NIH selects Burnham Institute for Exploratory Center for Human

Embryonic Stem Cell Research

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=28928

11 Aug 2005

The Burnham Institute will receive $3 M over the next three years

from the National Institutes of Health ( " NIH " ) to develop

an " Exploratory Center for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research " . The

grant provides funds to support research that will advance

understanding of the fundamental biology of human embryonic stem

cells ( " hESCs " ), as well as facilities for supporting the work and

training of other investigators in the basic methods of growing and

using human stem cells.

The Burnham Institute is the only NIH exploratory stem cell center in

California and the southwestern United States. The Institute was one

of three exploratory center sites selected by NIH: Mt. Sinai School

of Medicine in New York and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, also

in New York, received the other two grants. NIH has funded a total of

six exploratory stem cell centers to date, including three centers

named in 2003 when the program was initiated: University of

Washington, University of Wisconsin, and University of Michigan.

The field of hESC biology is in its infancy and is part of the

burgeoning broader field of human stem cell biology. " If we are to

realize the tremendous potential of stem cells, we urgently need more

fundamental knowledge about their basic biology and more scientists

trained to work with them, " said M. Berg, Ph.D., director of

the National Institute of General Medical Sciences ( " NIGMS " ) at the

NIH.

NIGMS is addressing these critical needs by providing a total of $9M

to the three new Exploratory Centers for Human Embryonic Stem Cell

Research over the next three years. The centers will use this funding

for research on stem cell lines that are listed on the NIH's Human

Embryonic Stem Cell Registry, so-called " NIH approved " stem cell

lines.

" These centers are a crucial step in establishing the infrastructure

for scientists to address essential questions about human development

and cell differentiation, " said n M. Zatz, Ph.D., program

director for the center grants.

During its first year, the Burnham's exploratory stem cell center

will fund pilot studies to develop imaging technology that will

allow " real time " observation of stem cells, studies on the molecular

signals that enable self-renewal and specialization of stem cells,

and ongoing studies to improve on methods for growing and maintaining

cells.

" Our primary goal in establishing a stem cell center at The Burnham

is to facilitate collaborative research on the basic biology of hESC

and encourage new researchers to enter the field. This NIH funding

will enable new and established investigators to develop the utility

of hESC as a model system for a diverse range of biological and

medical problems, " said Evan Snyder, M.D., Ph.D., Principal

Investigator and Co-director of the Stem Cell Center.

" Training new investigators and sharing information are principal

goals of the Stem Cell Center " , added Jeanne Loring, Ph.D., co-

Principal Investigator and co-director of the Stem Cell Center. The

grant will support short workshop courses in hESC technology for

visiting scientists and provide infrastructure for an intensive NIH-

supported training course initiated in 2004 as a joint effort between

Dr. Philip Schwartz of the Children's Hospital of Orange County

( " CHOC " ) and Drs. Loring and Snyder of the Burnham Institute.

The Burnham Institute already serves the worldwide stem cell research

community through several other programs. The Southern California

Stem Cell Consortium is a group of about 100 scientists from academic

and industry organizations who meet monthly at the Burnham to discuss

issues in human ES cell biology. The Burnham also sponsors a series

of symposia exploring the ethical issues surrounding stem cell

biology, and hosts an informational website, called The Stem Cell

Community (stemcellcommunity.org). Burnham Institute scientists are

producing a definitive human ES cell laboratory manual that will be

published in 2006 by Elsevier, a leading publisher of scientific

literature.

The Burnham Institute, founded in 1976, is an independent not-for-

profit biomedical research institution dedicated to advancing the

frontiers of scientific knowledge and providing the foundation for

tomorrow's medical therapies. The Institute is home to three major

centers: the Cancer Center, the Del E. Webb Neuroscience and Aging

Center, and the Infectious and Inflammatory Disease Center. Since

1981, the Institute's Cancer Center has been a member of the National

Cancer Institute's prestigious Cancer Centers program. Discoveries by

Burnham scientists have contributed to the development of new drugs

for Alzheimer's disease, heart disease and several forms of cancer.

Today the Burnham Institute employs over 700 people, including more

than 550 scientists. The majority of the Institute's funding derives

from federal sources, but private philanthropic support is essential

to continuing bold and innovative research. For additional

information about the Institute and ways to support the research

efforts of the Institute, visit http://www.burnham.org.

Burnham Institute

http://www.burnham-inst.org