Rhode Island Hospital Unveils New COBRE Center for Stem …

3/27/2013

Current stem cell studies include research into new treatments for leukemia, lymphoma and liver, kidney and bone marrow damage

Rhode Island Hospital is expanding its research space in the citys bio-med-focused Knowledge District with the opening of a new hematology-oncology laboratory, the COBRE Center for Stem Cell Biology. The lab, which is located in Lifespans research hub the Coro Building -- provides researchers with the state-of-the-art technology needed to support ongoing research in the areas of cancer, tissue injury and basic stem cell biology.

The new 11,000-square-foot hematology-oncology research lab was made possible by a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIH conferred more than $300,000 to Peter Quesenberry, MD, director of hematology oncology at Rhode Island and The Miriam hospitals, specifically for the construction of the new lab.

This new lab space will help us to further study the use of stem cells for the treatment of many illnesses various forms of cancer, tissue and organ damage and much more, Quesenberry said. Creating this research hub provides our researchers with the best possible resources, and places us in close proximity to the hospitals, allowing us to more appropriately collaborate with our peers, and truly bring research from the bench to the bedside.

Quesenberry continued, Additionally, by working closely with the physicians, we are developing new studies that stem from the patient essentially, creating research in reverse, from the bedside to the bench, in an effort to develop new treatments for all-too-common and debilitating illnesses.

The cancer studies being conducted are directed toward revising drug resistance in prostate cancer, chronic myelocytic leukemia and breast cancer. Additionally, cutting-edge studies to develop better treatments for prostate and breast cancer are being conducted, as are studies of mesenchymal stem cells for their ability to reverse pulmonary hypertension. The laboratory also will support research in novel anti-cancer treatments for pediatric and adult malignancies, and will continue to examine therapeutic mechanisms underlying refractory leukemia and lymphoma. The new lab space can accommodate 14 laboratory benches, and can accommodate 10 funded investigators, as well as their technicians and students.

Part of Rhode Island Hospitals mission is to be at the forefront of patient care by creating, applying and sharing the most advanced knowledge in health care, said Peter Snyder, PhD, senior vice president and chief research officer for Lifespan.. One of the ways we do that is by providing our researchers with the tools they need to conduct cutting-edge research in order to discover and create improved diagnostic measures and treatments. This new research space is the first step in a major renovation project at the Coro Building that we believe will serve as a focal point for clinical research in Rhode Island, and propel us to the forefront of academic medicine in the U.S.

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Rhode Island Hospital Unveils New COBRE Center for Stem ...