New York Stem Cell Foundation Explained

The New York Stem Cell Foundation
Formation:2005
Founder:Susan L. Solomon, Mary Elizabeth Bunzel
Type:Non-profit Research Institute
Headquarters:New York City
Leader Title:CEO
Leader Name:Derrick J. Rossi, PhD
Website:https://nyscf.org/

The New York Stem Cell Foundation, or NYSCF, is an American non-profit research institute focused on stem cell research, technology development, and funding researchers.[1] Headquartered on the far west side of Manhattan, New York, NYSCF employs 114 scientists, technicians, engineers, and administrative and other staff,[2] in addition to funding early career investigators and postdoctoral fellows. Since its inception, NYSCF has raised and invested more than $400 million for stem cell research.

Organization

History

NYSCF was founded in New York City by Susan L. Solomon, a lawyer and entrepreneur, and Mary Elizabeth Bunzel, a former journalist, in 2005 to accelerate stem cell-based approaches to researching and treating type 1 diabetes[3] and in response to the refusal of the administration of President George W. Bush to make a major investment in stem cell research. In 2006, NYSCF opened the NYSCF Research Institute – a 500 square foot, one-room independent laboratory located adjacent to Columbia University[4] [5] – as a safe-haven to conduct somatic cell nuclear transfer research through a collaboration with Columbia University and Harvard University.[6]

In 2015, NYSCF signed a 20-year lease to move its headquarters and NYSCF Research Institute laboratories to a renovated 42,000 square foot space at 619 West 54th Street[7] in the former Warner Brothers 'Movie Lab' building,[8] [9] rebranded as the Hudson Research Center by commercial real estate developer and building owner Taconic.[10] Opened in 2017, the new headquarters includes space for a Good Manufacturing Practice facility to manufacture cells for clinical trials.[11] In 2021, New York City announced it would grant NYSCF $6.5M as one of four applied research and development (R&D) facilities to equip an expansion of its Research Institute.[12]

Corporate leadership

The NYSCF is currently led by Jennifer J. Raab, former President of Hunter College. Raab was appinted as President & Chief Executive Officer in January 2024.[13]

The board of directors includes Roy Geronemus, Stephen M. Ross, Stephen Scherr, Kay Unger, Paul Goldberger, and Siddhartha Mukherjee.[14]

Research

High-throughput technologies

In 2015, NYSCF described the development of the NYSCF Global Stem Cell Array, a fully-automated system for high-throughput creation, differentiation, and quality control of stem cell lines.[15] [16] The system saves five to six times the cost of reagents as compared to manual stem cell derivation. The Global Stem Cell Array has been used to conduct research on several patient groups including children with rare diseases,[17] veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder,[18] [19] and Parkinson’s patients.[20] [21]

Stem cell-based research

NYSCF research resulting in the first human stem cell lines from the cells of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, was named as Time magazine's top medical breakthrough of 2008 and the number one breakthrough of the year by Science magazine.[22] [23] In 2018, a phase 2 clinical trial for Ezogabine, an epilepsy treatment identified as a possible ALS therapy based on this human stem cell model, was shown to reduce motor neuron excitability in ALS patients.[24] [25]

In 2013, NYSCF researchers created the first patient-specific bone from stem cells and successfully transplanted the grafts into mice.[26] [27]

NYSCF researchers created stem cells and derived neurons from a pair of identical twins, one with Parkinson’s disease and one without, finding their neurons differed in how they produce the neurotransmitter dopamine and the enzyme beta-glucocerebrosidase in addition to differing in a molecular signaling pathway.[28] [29]

NYSCF researchers, in collaboration with researchers at New York University, created astrocytes from human stem cells and showed that in disease-like environments these cells can turn into neuron killers.[30] [31]

Mitochondrial replacement therapy

NYSCF researchers developed mitochondrial replacement therapy in 2012, or MRT, a technique to prevent the mother-to-child transmission of mitochondrial diseases[32] [33] [34] which is now approved for clinical use in the United Kingdom.[35]

Artificial intelligence

With Google Research, NYSCF scientists used the NYSCF Array and artificial intelligence algorithms to identify new cellular features of Parkinson’s disease by analyzing over six million images of skin cells, sampled and expanded from a group of 91 Parkinson’s patients and healthy controls.[36]

Partnerships

Organizations NYSCF has or is currently partnering with include: Google; the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and Yale University School of Medicine; Rush University Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, and Brigham and Women’s Hospital;[37] Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Bloomberg Philanthropies;[38] [39] and Columbia University Medical Center and the National Eye Institute.[40]

Activism

NYSCF started a working group "Initiative on Women in Science and Engineering" (IWISE) to address gender equality in science and STEM fields.[41] The IWISE working group published seven actionable strategies for institutions to promote gender equity in a 2015 Cell Stem Cell paper.[42] One of these steps is an Institutional Report Card for Gender Equality, which NYSCF created and requires every NYSCF grant applicant to fill out. The results of a 5-year analysis of these report card submissions were published in a 2019 Cell Stem Cell paper defining the extent of gender parity issues in the academic pipeline and opportunities for improvement.[43]

Funding

NYSCF was founded with private philanthropy from individuals and foundations. Notable early funders include former New York City mayor Michael R. Bloomberg; the investor Stanley Druckenmiller and his wife, Fiona; and a foundation founded by the late hedge-fund manager Julian Robertson.

NYSCF hosts an annual fundraising Gala and Science Fair. Past honorees include Janet and Jerry Zucker, Sanjay Gupta, MD; Siddhartha Mukherjee, MD, DPhil; Irving Weissman, MD; Susan and Stephen Scherr; Victor Garber; Derrick Rossi, PhD; Kizzmekia Corbett, PhD; Barney Graham, MD, PhD; Katalin Karikó, PhD; Drew Weissman, MD, PhD; Brooke Ellison; Frank Gehry; and David Rockwell. [44] [45] [46] [47] [48] In 2021 and 2020, NYSCF held virtual Galas both directed by Scott Ellis and hosted by Sanjay Gupta, MD.

In addition to philanthropy, NYSCF also receives funding from grants, partnerships, and collaborations.

Awards

Several awards are administered by the NYSCF. The Robertson Early Career Investigator Awards are given to scientists who have recently launched their own laboratories and provides unrestricted funding over a five-year period to scientists around the world, funded by the Robertson Foundation since 2010.[49] [50] The Druckenmiller Postdoctoral Fellows Awards provide three years of unrestricted funding to postdoctoral stem cell researchers in the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, and are funded by Stanley and Fiona Druckenmiller.[51] [52]

Notable recipients of NYSCF awards include

External links

Official website

Notes and References

  1. News: Roberts . Sam . 2022-09-13 . Susan L. Solomon, Crusader for Stem Cell Research, Dies at 71 . en-US . The New York Times . 2023-04-25 . 0362-4331.
  2. News: Hagerty . James R. . Susan L. Solomon Led Drive to Accelerate Stem-Cell Research . 2023-04-25 . WSJ . en-US.
  3. Web site: Wolfe . Alexandra . 2016-02-05 . Susan L. Solomon's Stem-Cell Research Quest . 2023-04-25 . WSJ . en-US.
  4. Web site: 2012-06-10 . Field of vision . 2023-04-25 . Crain's New York Business . en.
  5. 2006-11-24 . Pioneers . Science . en . 314 . 5803 . 1223 . 10.1126/science.314.5803.1223a . 220083371 . 0036-8075.
  6. Web site: Bioengineer . 2014-04-28 . First disease-specific human embryonic stem cell line by nuclear transfer . 2023-05-03 . bioengineer.org . en-US.
  7. Web site: Nonko . Emily . 2015-11-29 . Stem-Cell Leader Expands in New York . 2023-04-25 . WSJ . en-US.
  8. Web site: Weiss . Lois . 2017-08-16 . Movie Lab building transforming into science lab . New York Post . 2023-05-01 . en-US.
  9. Web site: Coste . Mihaela . 2017-05-05 . Manhattan Office Asset Lands $200M Recap . 2023-04-25 . Commercial Property Executive . en-US.
  10. Web site: Cathy . Cunningham . 2020-12-23 . Silverstein, Taconic Seal $205M Refi for NYC Life Science Asset . 2023-05-01 . Commercial Observer . en-US.
  11. Web site: 2018-07-15 . How Real Estate is Preparing for the Emergence of the Life Sciences Industry in NYC . 2023-05-01 . Commercial Observer . en-US.
  12. Web site: 2021-01-21 . State of the City Preview: New York City Invests $38 Million in New Biotech Centers . 2023-04-25 . The official website of the City of New York.
  13. News: Barron . James . 2024-01-31 . A New Gig in the Science World . 2024-05-05 . The New York Times . en-US . 0362-4331.
  14. Web site: Archives . 2024-05-05 . New York Stem Cell Foundation . en-US.
  15. Web site: Pluripotency Bots . 2023-04-25 . The Scientist Magazine® . en.
  16. Paull . Daniel . Sevilla . Ana . Zhou . Hongyan . Hahn . Aana Kim . Kim . Hesed . Napolitano . Christopher . Tsankov . Alexander . Shang . Linshan . Krumholz . Katie . Jagadeesan . Premlatha . Woodard . Chris M. . Sun . Bruce . Vilboux . Thierry . Zimmer . Matthew . Forero . Eliana . 2015-08-03 . Automated, high-throughput derivation, characterization and differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells . Nature Methods . en . 12 . 9 . 885–892 . 10.1038/nmeth.3507 . 26237226 . 9889991 . 1548-7105.
  17. Web site: 'Something positive for humankind': Girls lend cells to genetic study . 2023-04-25 . NBC News . 8 December 2013 . en.
  18. Web site: Stem Cell Study Reveals How Neurons From PTSD Patients React to Stress Mount Sinai - New York . 2023-04-25 . Mount Sinai Health System . en-US.
  19. Web site: Ktori . Sophia . 2022-10-21 . Stem Cell Study Shows How Neurons from PTSD Patients React to Stress . 2023-04-25 . GEN - Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News . en-US.
  20. Web site: 2022-05-02 . How Google is helping shape the future of AI in health care . 2023-04-25 . GC innovate . nl-BE.
  21. Web site: Ktori . Sophia . 2022-03-28 . AI and Robotics Uncover Cellular Hallmarks of Parkinson's in Skin Cells . 2023-04-25 . GEN - Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News . en-US.
  22. Park . Alice . 2008-11-03 . The Top 10 Everything of 2008 - TIME . en-US . Time . 2023-04-25 . 0040-781X.
  23. Vogel . Gretchen . 2008-12-19 . Reprogramming Cells . Science . en . 322 . 5909 . 1766–1767 . 10.1126/science.322.5909.1766 . 19095902 . 10410812 . 0036-8075.
  24. Web site: Ezogabine treatment shown to reduce motor neuron excitability in ALS patients . 2023-04-25 . medicalxpress.com . en.
  25. Wainger . Brian J. . Macklin . Eric A. . Vucic . Steve . McIlduff . Courtney E. . Paganoni . Sabrina . Maragakis . Nicholas J. . Bedlack . Richard . Goyal . Namita A. . Rutkove . Seward B. . Lange . Dale J. . Rivner . Michael H. . Goutman . Stephen A. . Ladha . Shafeeq S. . Mauricio . Elizabeth A. . Baloh . Robert H. . 2021-02-01 . Effect of Ezogabine on Cortical and Spinal Motor Neuron Excitability in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Randomized Clinical Trial . JAMA Neurology . 78 . 2 . 186–196 . 10.1001/jamaneurol.2020.4300 . 33226425 . 7684515 . 2168-6149.
  26. Web site: Naik . Gautam . 2013-05-06 . Scientists Make Human Bone From Skin Cells . 2023-04-25 . WSJ . en-US.
  27. de Peppo . Giuseppe Maria . Marcos-Campos . Iván . Kahler . David John . Alsalman . Dana . Shang . Linshan . Vunjak-Novakovic . Gordana . Marolt . Darja . 2013-05-21 . Engineering bone tissue substitutes from human induced pluripotent stem cells . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences . en . 110 . 21 . 8680–8685 . 10.1073/pnas.1301190110 . 0027-8424 . 3666730 . 23653480 . 2013PNAS..110.8680D . free .
  28. Web site: Henig . Robin Marantz . 2015-02-23 . Did Grief Give Him Parkinson's? . 2023-04-25 . Nautilus . en-US.
  29. Woodard . Chris M. . Campos . Brian A. . Kuo . Sheng-Han . Nirenberg . Melissa J. . Nestor . Michael W. . Zimmer . Matthew . Mosharov . Eugene V. . Sulzer . David . Zhou . Hongyan . Paull . Daniel . Clark . Lorraine . Schadt . Eric E. . Sardi . Sergio Pablo . Rubin . Lee . Eggan . Kevin . 2014-11-20 . iPSC-Derived Dopamine Neurons Reveal Differences between Monozygotic Twins Discordant for Parkinson's Disease . Cell Reports . 9 . 4 . 1173–1182 . 10.1016/j.celrep.2014.10.023 . 2211-1247 . 4255586 . 25456120.
  30. Web site: Jackson . Christina . 2020-06-02 . Stem Cell Model Exposes Astrocytes as Potential Mechanism behind Neurodegeneration . 2023-04-25 . GEN - Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News . en-US.
  31. Barbar . Lilianne . Jain . Tanya . Zimmer . Matthew . Kruglikov . Ilya . Sadick . Jessica S. . Wang . Minghui . Kalpana . Kriti . Rose . Indigo V.L. . Burstein . Suzanne R. . Rusielewicz . Tomasz . Nijsure . Madhura . Guttenplan . Kevin A. . di Domenico . Angelique . Croft . Gist . Zhang . Bin . 2020-08-05 . CD49f Is a Novel Marker of Functional and Reactive Human iPSC-Derived Astrocytes . Neuron . 107 . 3 . 436–453.e12 . 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.05.014 . 0896-6273 . 8274549 . 32485136.
  32. Web site: Farrell . John . 2012-12-19 . Nuclear Transfer Breakthrough Offers A Way To Prevent Mitochondrial Disorders . 2023-04-25 . Forbes . en.
  33. News: Tingley . Kim . 2014-06-27 . The Brave New World of Three-Parent I.V.F. . en-US . The New York Times . 2023-04-25 . 0362-4331.
  34. Paull . Daniel . Emmanuele . Valentina . Weiss . Keren A. . Treff . Nathan . Stewart . Latoya . Hua . Haiqing . Zimmer . Matthew . Kahler . David J. . Goland . Robin S. . Noggle . Scott A. . Prosser . Robert . Hirano . Michio . Sauer . Mark V. . Egli . Dieter . 2012-12-19 . Nuclear genome transfer in human oocytes eliminates mitochondrial DNA variants . Nature . en . 493 . 7434 . 632–637 . 10.1038/nature11800 . 23254936 . 7924261 . 1476-4687.
  35. Web site: Guilford . Gwynn . 2015-02-03 . Make way for three-parent babies. . 2023-04-25 . Quartz . en.
  36. Schiff . Lauren . Migliori . Bianca . Chen . Ye . Carter . Deidre . Bonilla . Caitlyn . Hall . Jenna . Fan . Minjie . Tam . Edmund . Ahadi . Sara . Fischbacher . Brodie . Geraschenko . Anton . Hunter . Christopher J. . Venugopalan . Subhashini . DesMarteau . Sean . Narayanaswamy . Arunachalam . 2022-03-25 . Integrating deep learning and unbiased automated high-content screening to identify complex disease signatures in human fibroblasts . Nature Communications . en . 13 . 1 . 1590 . 10.1038/s41467-022-28423-4 . 35338121 . 8956598 . 2022NatCo..13.1590S . 2041-1723.
  37. Lagomarsino . Valentina N. . Pearse . Richard V. . Liu . Lei . Hsieh . Yi-Chen . Fernandez . Marty A. . Vinton . Elizabeth A. . Paull . Daniel . Felsky . Daniel . Tasaki . Shinya . Gaiteri . Chris . Vardarajan . Badri . Lee . Hyo . Muratore . Christina R. . Benoit . Courtney R. . Chou . Vicky . 2021-11-03 . Stem cell-derived neurons reflect features of protein networks, neuropathology, and cognitive outcome of their aged human donors . Neuron . 109 . 21 . 3402–3420.e9 . 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.08.003 . 0896-6273 . 8571042 . 34473944.
  38. Web site: 2019-10-22 . Johns Hopkins School of Medicine announces new partnership to advance precision medicine . 2023-04-25 . The Hub . en.
  39. Web site: Bloomberg Philanthropies, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and The New York Stem Cell Foundation Research Institute Announce an Unprecedented Effort to Advance Precision Medicine . 2023-04-25 . Bloomberg Philanthropies . en-US.
  40. Web site: AMD Integrative Biology Initiative National Eye Institute . 2023-04-25 . www.nei.nih.gov.
  41. Smith . Kristin A. . Arlotta . Paola . Watt . Fiona M. . Solomon . Susan L. . Bargmann . Cori . Berg . David . Briggs . LaTese . Chao . Moses V. . Dulac . Catherine . Eggan . Kevin . Escobar-Alvarez . Sindy . Fossati . Valentina . Fuchs . Elaine . Glimcher . Laurie H. . 2015-03-05 . Seven Actionable Strategies for Advancing Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine . Cell Stem Cell . 16 . 3 . 221–224 . 10.1016/j.stem.2015.02.012 . 1934-5909 . 4476252 . 25748929.
  42. News: 2015-03-16 . Seven strategies for keeping women in STEM fields . en . Reuters . 2023-04-25.
  43. Beeler . Whitney H. . Smith-Doody . Kristin A. . Ha . Richard . Aiyar . Raeka S. . Schwarzbach . Elizabeth . Solomon . Susan L. . Jagsi . Reshma . 2019-09-05 . Institutional Report Cards for Gender Equality: Lessons Learned from Benchmarking Efforts for Women in STEM . Cell Stem Cell . en . 25 . 3 . 306–310 . 10.1016/j.stem.2019.08.010 . 31491394 . 201869532 . 1934-5909. free .
  44. Web site: Honorees – NYSCF Gala & Science Fair . 2023-04-25 . en-US .
  45. Web site: Past Galas – NYSCF Gala & Science Fair . 2023-04-25 . en-US.
  46. Web site: Cristi . A. A. . Tony-Winner David Rockwell to Be Honored By NYSCF As Part Of First Ever Virtual Gala . 2023-04-25 . BroadwayWorld.com . en.
  47. Web site: Rabinowitz . Chloe . Victor Garber to be Honored at SHOW UP FOR SCIENCE Event, Featuring Jane Krakowski, Tony Shalhoub, Jesse Williams & More . 2023-04-25 . BroadwayWorld.com . en.
  48. Web site: Rosky . Nicole . Photos: Caissie Levy, Annaleigh Ashford & More Come Out to Support the New York Stem Cell Foundation . 2023-11-03 . BroadwayWorld.com . en.
  49. News: Hedge-Fund Founder Julian Robertson Donates $27M to Fund Stem-Cell Research . 2023-04-25 . WSJ . en-US.
  50. Web site: NYSCF – Robertson Stem Cell Investigator Awards . 2023-04-25 . New York Stem Cell Foundation . en-US.
  51. Web site: NYSCF – Druckenmiller Fellowship Awards . 2023-04-25 . New York Stem Cell Foundation . en-US.
  52. Web site: Di Mento . Maria . 2010-01-04 . Druckenmiller Foundation Announces $705 Million in Gifts From Founders . 2023-05-01 . Philanthropy News Digest.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "New York Stem Cell Foundation".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.