City of Hope lands $5.4M for cutting-edge stem cell research lab
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)
City of Hope, a cancer research and treatment organisation in the United States, has received a $5.4 million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) to establish a stem cell research laboratory at its Duarte, California campus.
The new facility aims to enhance City of Hope’s capabilities in regenerative medicine research.
The new Stem Cell-Based Disease Modelling Laboratory has two main objectives. It will advance stem cell-based disease modelling to drive innovation in regenerative medicine.
The laboratory will utilise City of Hope’s infrastructure and expertise in creating human cell-derived organoids, which are crucial for developing disease models that can lead to new therapies.
The facility will provide both healthy and cancerous stem cell-based models of brain, heart, and breast tissues for scientific research in the region.
It will also promote stem cell research in underserved communities by improving access to specialised equipment, services, and training, as well as educating students about regenerative medicine.
Nadia Carlesso, Ph.D., programme director and chair of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine at City of Hope said:
“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.
“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 have growing, low-income communities facing significant health challenges and limited access to healthcare.
“It is important to emphasise 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.”
A 22-person educational team will provide training on stem cell disease models to community physicians, researchers, and students. The initiative will partner with higher education institutions in the Inland Empire and K-12 school districts in Duarte, Monrovia, Charter Oak, and Azusa, offering hands-on training to undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and other researchers.
The Stem Cell-Based Disease Modelling Laboratory, led by Carlesso and Termini, will include experts such as 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.
City of Hope is known for its expertise in developmental and stem cell biology, with clinical programmes in bone marrow transplantation, cancer immunotherapy, and gene therapy. The new laboratory will operate in a renovated space equipped with state-of-the-art instruments and technologies, centralising the development of organoid models.
Co-programme director John Termini, Ph.D., professor of cancer biology and molecular medicine at City of Hope, stated:
“We are eager to introduce more people to the exciting world of stem cell research and shape their vision for future jobs in science. 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.”
