The Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine (CSCRM) is a consortium of Case Western Reserve University (Case), University Hospitals of Cleveland (UH) and The Cleveland Clinic. The two grants, to be disbursed over five years, were awarded to Stanton Gerson, M.D., director of the Cleveland Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine; George Muschler, M.D., an orthopaedic surgeon at The Cleveland Clinic; and Jaroslow Maciejewski, M.D., a hematologist at the Clinic. All three are faculty members of the Case School of Medicine.
The grants represent two of five awards made nationwide by the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health, for stem cell research in the area of aging.
"Competition for funding is keen and the multiple awards to Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine members underscores the quality and competitive merit of the innovative stem cell work being conducted at the center," Dr. Gerson said. "Cutting-edge clinical research on adult stem cells continues to lead to clinical trials in stem cell failure, cancer and orthopedic disorders, areas in which the Clinic and UH are nationally recognized."
Dr. Gerson received a grant for his project "Declining DNA Repair in Aging Hematopoietic Stem Cells," a study to test the hypothesis that deterioration of blood stem cells in bone marrow contributes to anemia and bone marrow failure in the aging process. The ability to divide and faithfully produce more cells is an important part of a stem cell's ability to contribute therapeutically. However, as cells age, they may not be able to divide properly.
Dr. Gerson's team will study the ability of stem cells from individuals, ages 50 to 90, to withstand DNA damage associated with aging and with env
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Contact: George Stamatis
George.Stamatis@case.edu
216-368-3635
Case Western Reserve University
11-Oct-2004