New York Stem Cell Foundation

The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, founded in the Spring of 2005, with the mission “accelerating cures for the major diseases of our time through stem cell research.”[1] NYSCF established the first privately funded stem cell laboratory in New York City, where NYSCF researchers and scientific collaborators conduct advanced stem cell investigations. The foundation supports stem cell scientists through the NYSCF Innovator Program, and it engages the academic, medical, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology communities by hosting the annual translational stem cell research conference and other symposia throughout the year. NYSCF aims to educate the public on the importance of stem cell research in new therapies.

The foundation focuses on three areas:

Susan L. Solomon is the CEO, and Kevin Eggan serves as the Chief Scientific Officer.[5]

History

In 2005, Susan L. Solomon co-founded The New York Stem Cell Foundation with the mission of accelerating stem cell research to cure major disease. Solomon, an attorney with a previous career in business, started as a health-care advocate in 1992 when her son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Following her son’s diagnosis and her mother’s death from cancer in 2004, she sought to find a way to translate medical research more quickly into cures. In conversations with scientists and clinicians, Solomon identified stem cells as the most promising way to address unmet patient needs. In 2006, NYSCF established its own laboratory, which is now one of the largest private stem cell laboratories in the United States, now referred to as The NYSCF Research Institute.[6]

NYSCF channels private philanthropy toward stem cell research. NYSCF has raised nearly $100 million for stem cell research both in its own laboratory and in the major medical institutions around the world that it continues to support.[7]

The NYSCF Research Institute

In March 2006, NYSCF opened the first privately funded human embryonic stem cell (hESC) laboratory in New York. The lab was free from federal restrictions and allowed scientists to conduct all types of stem cell research, including studies that involve embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, and somatic cell nuclear transfer.

As of 2014, the NYSCF Research Institute occupies over 6,000 square feet of space, and employs 40 full-time researchers. The NYSCF Research Institute is home to the NYSCF Global Stem Cell Array, a proprietary, automated robotic technology that standardized production of induced pluripotent stem cell lines.[8]

NYSCF focuses on disease modeling and the development of cell therapies.[9]

Disease Areas

Scientists at the NYSCF Research Institute conduct translational stem cell research in the following disease areas:

Research Highlights

2012

NYSCF Researchers Publish on Method to Prevent Inheritance of Mitochondrial Disease in Nature

According to the December 19, 2012 issue of Nature, NYSCF scientists, in collaboration with Columbia University Medical Center researchers, successfully transferred the nuclei between egg cells without detectable adverse effects on the resultant egg cell.[10] The technique represents a way to prevent the inheritance of mitochondrial diseases. Women with a family history of mitochondrial diseases will be able to have children without risk of passing on these diseases. Specifically, the team removed the nucleus of an unfertilized egg cell and replaced it with the nucleus of another donor’s egg cell, but, unlike the work of previous groups, the researchers lowered the temperature of the egg, increasing transfer success rate.[11]

2011

NYSCF Researchers Derive Pluripotent Stem Cells from Human Egg Cells, Reported in Nature

Time magazine-cited research[12] led by NYSCF scientists Dieter Egli and Scott Noggle reprogrammed the adult skin cells from Type 1 diabetes patients to the pluripotent state by combining these cells with unfertilized donor eggs, as reported in Nature.[13] The scientists then differentiated the pluripotent cells into other cell types in the body, including insulin-producing beta cells. This is an important advance in the development of patient-specific stem cells that could help in the study of and potentially the treatment for diabetes. If translated into a clinical therapy, the cells generated through this somatic-cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) method could replace damaged or diseased cells without rejection by the patient’s immune system.

2010

NYSCF Investigator Derrick Rossi Named to Time’s “People Who Mattered”

In the December 27, 2010 edition of Time magazine, Derrick Rossi, PhD, a NYSCF – Robertston Investigator and an Assistant Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School, was named one of 2010’s “People Who Mattered”.[14] Dr. Rossi pioneered a method to reprogram skin cells into stem cells with messenger molecules rather than viral vectors. Clinically significant, this eliminates risk of viral contamination and the related development of cancer.

2008

NYSCF Chief Scientific Officer Kevin Eggan First to Create Neurons from ALS Patients

Kevin Eggan, PhD, of Harvard University, applied induced pluripotent stem cell derivation techniques pioneered by Shinya Yamanaka, MD, to generate the first motor neurons from skin samples of ALS patients. These cells could be used to study the progression of motor neuron disease, which researchers cannot do in an ALS patient. This research was published in Science[15] and cited by Time magazine as the #1 Medical Breakthrough of 2009.[16]

Innovator Programs

NYSCF supports stem cell research through external grants known as its "Innovator Programs." The NYSCF Innovator Programs are the NYSCF - Druckenmiller Fellowship, the NYSCF - Robertson Investigator Program, and the NYSCF - Robertson Prize.

The NYSCF - Druckenmiller Fellowship Program

The NYSCF - Druckenmiller Fellowship Program has provided support for 50 researchers from institutions worldwide. The Program provides support to postdoctoral researches to help them as they enter the next stage of their careers. NYSCF believes supporting postdoctoral researchers is crucial in creating a trained generation of stem cell scientists.[17] Within the next five years, it will support an additional 30 researchers. The NYSCF - Druckenmiller Fellowship Program is supported by Fiona and Stanley Druckenmiller.

The NYSCF – Robertson Investigator Program

The Investigator Program builds on the NYSCF - Druckenmiller Fellowship Program. NYSCF's intent is to support early career investigators around the world, who often have difficulty obtaining traditional support for their work. The Program provides five years of funding to early career scientists engaged in stem cell research focused on finding cures, supporting them as they establish their own laboratories.

The program encompasses two research areas: neuroscience and stem cell technology. The Stem Cell Investigators engage in the basic biology and the translational potential of stem cells. Eleven early career scientists have joined the Stem Cell Investigator program.[18] NYSCF aims to select Neuroscience Investigators to conduct neuroscience research that seeks to transform the fundamental understanding of the brain. Eight scientists have become Neuroscience Investigators.[19]

The NYSCF – Robertson Prize

The New York Stem Cell Foundation annually honors the achievements of young stem cell researchers with The NYSCF – Robertson Prize, started in 2011. Each recipient receives a cash award as well as a sculpture designed by architect Frank Gehry, winner of the 2009 NYSCF Humanitarian Award.[20]

In 2012, Kazutoshi Takahashi, PhD, Lecturer at Kyoto University, won the NYSCF – Robertson Prize.[21] Dr. Takahashi was the first author on a series of papers with Shinya Yamanaka, PhD, which described, for the first time, reprogramming adult cells into pluripotent stem cells.[22] This work, the derivation of induced pluripotent stem cells, led to Dr. Yamanaka’s 2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.[23]

In 2011, Peter J. Coffey, DPhil, Professor of Cellular Therapy and Visual Sciences at the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, was the inaugural recipient of the NYSCF – Robertson Prize.[24] As the Director of the London Project to Cure Blindness,[25] Dr. Coffey has provided his expertise in human embryonic stem cells to develop a treatment to cure Age-Related Macular Degeneration.[26]

Other winners include:

· 2013: Amy Wagers, PhD (Harvard University)

· 2014: Marius Wernig, MD, PhD (Stanford)[27]

The NYSCF Translational Stem Cell Research Conference

Held annually in October at Rockefeller University, The NYSCF hosts the New York Stem Cell Foundation Translational Stem Cell Research Conference in which stem cell scientists and members of the medical, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology communities gather. The conference’s topics are arranged by disease area, with separate symposia that address topics related to the stem cell field.[28]

On October 10–11, 2012, NYSCF held its seventh conference, with a record attendance of over 400. Paneled discussions such as Revolutionizing Functional Human Genetics composed the first day, while the second day focused on research breakthroughs organized by disease area. Kazutoshi Takahashi, PhD, the recipient of the 2012 NYSCF – Robertson Prize and first author on a series of papers that led to Shinya Yamanaka’s Nobel prize-winning research on induced pluripotent stem cell derivation, delivered a keynote address.[29]

Outreach

Panels & Symposia

NYSCF holds regular public outreach panels annually in New York City.[30]

Initiative on Women in Science and Engineering (IWISE)

NYSCF founded the Initiative on Women in Science and Engineering (IWISE) to create more gender equity in the sciences.[31] The IWISE working group published recommendations for the field in Cell Stem Cell.[32] IWISE was also highlighted by the Cell Press Podcast in March 2015, in which CEO Susan L. Solomon spoke about some of the actionable steps to promote women in sciences.[33] The initiative generated a report card that assigns institutions a grade based on how equity of their gender practices.[34]

The NYSCF Global Stem Cell ArrayTM

The NYSCF Laboratory developed The NYSCF Global Stem Cell ArrayTM, which manufactures standardized induced pluripotent cells that can act as human disease models.[35] The Array, announced at TEDGlobal in 2012 captures the full spectrum of genetic and ethnic diversity within the human population as stem cell lines.[36] Both healthy donors and diseased patients contribute skin and/or blood. Automated robotic technologies and proprietary protocols transform these samples into standardized, high-quality stem cell lines (i.e. induced pluripotent stem cells or iPSCs), which may thereafter be reprogrammed into other cell types (e.g. heart cells, liver cells, and brain cells). These cells provide a platform by which researchers can study basic biological development and disease progression.[37]

Researchers may anticipate, on a large scale, how people from genetically diverse backgrounds respond to new drugs—in other words, conduct “clinical trials in a dish.”[38] For the first time, potential drug metabolism and toxicity issues are identified in advance of human clinical trials. Additionally, the Array facilitates the customization of drugs and the creation of cell therapies to match a person’s own genetic type, increasing the likelihood of drug success and decreasing the odds of adverse effects.

The Array has enabled NYSCF to partner with organizations such as:

· Stanley Center at the Broad Institute[39]

· The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research [40]

· National Institutes of Health Undiagnosed Disease Program[41]

· Beyond Batten Disease Foundation[42]

NYSCF Annual History

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Our Mission". The New York Stem Cell Foundation. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  2. ↑ "Research". The New York Stem Cell Foundation. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  3. ↑ "NYSCF Innovators". The New York Stem Cell Foundation. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  4. ↑ "NYSCF Outreach". The New York Stem Cell Foundation. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  5. ↑ "NYSCF Team". The New York Stem Cell Foundation. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  6. ↑ "Susan L. Solomon". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  7. ↑ Scott, Gale (10 June 2012). "Field of Vision". Crain's New York Business. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  8. ↑ https://www.ted.com/speakers/susan_solomon
  9. ↑ Rizk, Christie (November 2010). "Regenerative Medicine Regenerates Itself". Genome Technology. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  10. ↑ Paull, Daniel (19 December 2012). "Nuclear genome transfer in human oocytes eliminates mitochondrial DNA variants". Nature. 493: 632–637. doi:10.1038/nature11800. PMID 23254936. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  11. ↑ Farrel, John (19 December 2012). "Nuclear Transfer Breakthrough Offers A Way To Prevent Mitochondrial Disorders". Forbes. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  12. ↑ Park, Alice (7 December 2011). "1. Scientists Use Cloning to Create Stem Cell". Time. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  13. ↑ Noggle, Scott (6 October 2011). "Human oocytes reprogram somatic cells to a pluripotent state". Nature. 478 (7367): 70–5. doi:10.1038/nature10397. PMID 21979046. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  14. ↑ Park, Alice (15 December 2010). "People Who Mattered: Derrick Rossi". Time. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  15. ↑ Dimos, John (29 August 2008). "Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Generated from Patients with ALS Can Be Differentiated into Motor Neurons". Science. 321 (5893): 1218–1221. doi:10.1126/science.1158799. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  16. ↑ Park, Alice (3 November 2008). "1. First Neurons Created from ALS Patients". Time. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  17. ↑ "Postdoctoral Fellowships". The New York Stem Cell Foundation. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  18. ↑ "Stem Cell Investigator Awards". The New York Stem Cell Foundation. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  19. ↑ "Neuroscience Investigator Awards". The New York Stem Cell Foundation. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  20. ↑ "NYSCF - Robertson Stem Cell Prize". The New York Stem Cell Foundation. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  21. ↑ Shapiro, Gary (10 October 2012). "Stem Cell Heroes Show Off at Fair". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  22. ↑ http://www.cell.com/cell/comments/S0092-8674(06)00976-7
  23. ↑ http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/2012/press.html
  24. ↑ http://labs.nri.ucsb.edu/coffey/peter/
  25. ↑ "About". The London Project to Cure Blindness. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
  26. ↑ http://labs.nri.ucsb.edu/coffey/peter/research/
  27. ↑ http://stemcell.stanford.edu/about/Laboratories/wernig/index.html
  28. ↑ "NYSCF Conference". The New York Stem Cell Foundation. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  29. ↑ "Stem Cell Researchers Convene for NYSCF's Seventh Annual Translational Stem Cell Research Conference". The New York Stem Cell Foundation. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  30. ↑ http://nyscf.org/events
  31. ↑ http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/16/us-women-scientists-career-support-idUSKBN0MC1UO20150316
  32. ↑ "Seven Actionable Strategies for Advancing Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine". Cell Stem Cell. 16: 221–224. doi:10.1016/j.stem.2015.02.012.
  33. ↑ http://www.cell.com/podcast
  34. ↑ http://www.cell.com/crosstalk/seven-strategies-from-the-nyscf-for-advancing-women-in-stem
  35. ↑ Philippidis, Alex (10 October 2012). "Tissue Engineering No Easy Cell". Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  36. ↑ https://www.ted.com/speakers/susan_solomon
  37. ↑ http://blog.cambridgesoft.com/post/2012/11/09/New-stem-cell-array-technology-capable-of-revolutionizing-drug-discovery.aspx
  38. ↑ https://www.ted.com/speakers/susan_solomon
  39. ↑ https://www.broadinstitute.org/news/6550
  40. ↑ https://www.michaeljfox.org/foundation/publication-detail.html?id=489&category=7
  41. ↑ http://globalgenes.org/raredaily/nyscf-partners-nih-to-generate-stem-cell-for-treating-rare-diseases/
  42. ↑ http://globalgenes.org/raredaily/nyscf-partners-nih-to-generate-stem-cell-for-treating-rare-diseases/
  43. ↑ http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v493/n7434/full/nature11800.html
  44. ↑ "GPI 2012 "Stem Cell Action Award" Honorees Announced". World Stem Cell Summit. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  45. ↑ "Susan Solomon: The promise of research with stem cells". TED Talks. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  46. ↑ "40 Under Forty". Crain's New York Business. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  47. ↑ Noggle, Scott (5 October 2011). "Human oocytes reprogram somatic cells to a pluripotent state". Nature. 478 (7367): 70–75. doi:10.1038/nature10397. PMID 21979046. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  48. ↑ "British Scientist Working to Cure Common Form of Blindness Named Recipient of Inaugural NYSCF - Robertson Prize in Stem Cell Research". The New York Stem Cell Foundation. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  49. ↑ Park, Alice (15 December 2010). "People Who Mattered: Derrick Rossi". Time. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  50. ↑ "The Breast Cancer Hour". The Martha Stewart Show. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  51. ↑ "Parkinson's Disease: How Stem Cell Research Will Make a Difference". The New York Stem Cell Foundation. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
  52. ↑ "Fourth Annual Dinner Celebration: Breaking Ground". The New York Stem Cell Foundation. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
  53. ↑ "Governor Designate David A. Paterson Applauds Winners of 2008's Women's History Month Awards". New York State. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  54. ↑ Park, Alice (7 December 2011). "Scientists Use Cloning to Create Stem Cells". Time. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
  55. ↑ "First Annual Gala Dinner". The New York Stem Cell Foundation. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
  56. ↑ "National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences". National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  57. ↑ "New York State Stem Cell Science". NYSTEM. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
  58. ↑ "California Institute for Regenerative Medicine". CIRM. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
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