The Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine is a multi-institutional center composed of investigators from Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, the Cleveland Clinic, Athersys, Inc., and Ohio State University. Building on the 20 year history of adult stem cell research in northeast Ohio, the Center was created in 2003 with a $19.4 million award from the State of Ohio as a Wright Center of Innovation. An additional $8 million award in 2006 from the State of Ohio’s Biomedical Research and Commercialization Program further validated the Center’s ability to achieve its mission to utilize human stem cell and tissue engineering technologies to treat human disease.
The Center is providing a comprehensive and coordinated “bench to bedside” approach to regenerative medicine, including basic and clinical research programs, biomedical and tissue engineering programs, and the development and administration of new therapies to patients. Center members gain access to an impressive breadth of non-embryonic stem cell types including:
- ASC (adipose stem cells),
- CTP (Connective Tissue Progenitors),
- HSC (hematopoietic stem cells),
- HB1 (hemangioblast (AC133) from umbilical cord blood),
- MSC (mesenchymal stem cells),
- MAPC (multi-potent adult stem cells),
- NSC (neural stem cells/oligodendrocyte progenitors),
- SKMB (skeletal myoblasts), and
- UCB (umbilical cord blood derived stem cells)
There are also over 40 core facilities located on the Case, Cleveland Clinic, and Case Medical Center campuses to support Center members. Leveraging its investigators’ exceptional track records in stem cell, tissue engineering and “first in the nation” stem cell clinical trials, the Center is promoting cutting-edge research which is translating into clinical and commercial applications. Current clinical applications being investigated include heart disease, adult stem cell transplantation, cancer, genetic disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis.
