News & Events
Dr. Eva Feldman to headline JVS 'Trade Secrets' dinner
Dr. Eva Feldman, director of the Taubman Institute, will serve as the 2012 honorary chair and keynote speaker at the 4th Annual JVS Trade Secrets dinner on March 7 at the Townsend Hotel in Birmingham.
The annual fundraising event benefits the JVS Women to Work program, which helps women who must find employment after drastic life changes such as the loss of a spouse, disability or unemployment.
"Dr. Feldman leads what I call a purpose-driven life," said JVS President and CEO Barbara Nurenberg. "She will share her trade secrets in running a successful medical practice and overseeing the premier stem cell research facility in the country."
Since its founding in 1941, Southfield-based JVS has grown from its initial programs of employment services for women, job counseling for returning World War II veterans and sheltered work for displaced refugees to a comprehensive human services organization. Current JVS programs provide assistance and services to people with disabilities, senior adults, at-risk youth, people with economic and educational disadvantages, the homeless, job seekers and employers.
"It is a great honor to be included in this wonderful event by such a superb organization," said Dr. Feldman. "The work that JVS does in our community is so valuable and so greatly needed, especially in difficult economic times. I am so proud to be associated with JVS and its worthy causes."
The evening also will include the presentation of the JVS Women to Work Award. This year's honoree is Carol Shapiro Havis, who was helped by JVS and went on to start her own business.
About the JVS Trade Secrets Dinner Date: March 7, 2012 Time: 6 p.m. Location: Townsend Hotel, Birmingham, Mich. The evening also includes a cocktail reception and raffle. Guests are asked to bring a new lipstick to help Women to Work pariticipants. More details are available on the JVS website.
AnnArbor.com writes about Consortium's stem cell line
By Nathan Bomey, AnnArbor.com
The University of Michigan announced today that the National Institutes of Health had accepted U-M's first human embryonic stem cell line for its national registry.
The stem cell line was created "from a cluster of about 30 cells removed from a donated five-day-old embryo roughly the size of the period at the end of this sentence," according to a news release. The embryo "was created for reproduction but was no longer needed for that purpose and was therefore about to be discarded," U-M said.
“We expect these cells will be used by investigators worldwide to enhance our understanding of stem cell biology, and together with disease-specific lines, discover treatments and cures for genetic diseases,” said Gary Smith, a U-M Medical School professor who derived the line and serves as co-director of the U-M Consortium for Stem Cell Therapies in the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute, in a statement.
NIH's registry currently has 147 embryonic stem cell lines.
U-M researchers are also developing several other embryonic stem cell lines — including two that have already been submitted to the NIH for consideration.
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Detroit Free Press: Feds approve University of Michigan stem cell line
By Robin Erb, Detroit Free Press Medical Writer
A University of Michigan stem cell line derived from a 5-day-old embryo has been approved for federally funded research -- a move that strengthens the state's foothold in the embryonic stem cell science world.
It's also a federal stamp of approval that Michigan's informed consent process -- an agreement from parents who donate embryos to such research -- is ethically and legally sound, said Sue O'Shea, codirector of the Consortium for Stem Cell Therapies.
"This opens the door for all kinds of spin-offs and companies," she said. "It has been such a long struggle."
In November 2008, Michigan voters approved a constitutional amendment, Proposal 2, that permitted researchers to use surplus embryos. There were protests from opponents who say the research destroys the embryos.
Gary Smith, the other codirector of the consortium, coaxed UM4-6 into an immortal mass of cells after drawing a tiny clump of about 30 cells from an embryo in 2010. The cells, nurtured in what Smith called "a very precise culture and the right nutrients," continued to replicate into millions, even as they remained in their embryonic state.
On Monday, UM4-6 appeared on the U.S. National Institutes of Health registry as its 147th available line, Smith said.
Other cell lines were contributed by Harvard and Stanford universities, the University of California, Los Angeles, and others.
Ed Rivet, legislative director of Right to Life of Michigan and an opponent of Proposal 2, said UM4-6's inclusion on the national registry wasn't a surprise. But proponents of embryonic stem cell research predicted "pent-up" research demand and an economic boon if the proposal passed, he said.
"One stem cell line after 3 1/2 years isn't a whole lot of product to talk about," he said.
UM4-6 is believed to be disease-free. In contrast, two other lines at U-M that were submitted to the national registry are disease-specific. Eight other lines -- three genetically normal and five with genetic defects -- are in development.
The UM4-6 cells, which will be a control line when comparing diseased cells, will be maintained by U-M, Smith said.
Though the university will charge a minimal fee to recoup costs for maintaining the line, the economic boost comes from "the research (UM4-6) enables and the discoveries that will occur," Smith said.
Contact Robin Erb: 313-222-2708 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. "> This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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U-M human embryonic stem cell line placed on national registry
Line is first from U-M accepted to the U.S. National Institutes of Health registry, now available for federally-funded research
View the interview with Dr. Gary Smith on YouTube
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The University of Michigan’s first human embryonic stem cell line will be placed on the U.S. National Institutes of Health’s registry, making the cells available for federally-funded research. It is the first of the stem cell lines derived at the University of Michigan to be placed on the registry.
The line, known as UM4-6, is a genetically normal line, derived in October 2010 from a cluster of about 30 cells removed from a donated five-day-old embryo roughly the size of the period at the end of this sentence. That embryo was created for reproduction but was no longer needed for that purpose and was therefore about to be discarded.
“This is significant, because acceptance of these cells on the registry demonstrates our attention to details of proper oversight, consenting, and following of NIH guidelines established in 2009,” says Gary Smith, Ph.D., who derived the line and also is co-director of the U-M Consortium for Stem Cell Therapies, part of the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute.
“It now makes the line available to researchers who can apply for federal funding to use it in their work; this is an important step.”
The line is the culmination of years of planning and preparation and was made possible by Michigan voters' November 2008 approval of a state constitutional amendment permitting scientists here to derive embryonic stem cell lines using surplus embryos from fertility clinics or embryos with genetic abnormalities and not suitable for implantation.
“We expect these cells will be used by investigators worldwide to enhance our understanding of stem cell biology, and together with disease-specific lines, discover treatments and cures for genetic diseases,” says Smith, who is a professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Michigan Medical School.
U-M is among just a handful of U.S. universities creating human embryonic stem cell lines. There are only 147 stem cell lines available on the registry.
“We envision in the future that investigators will be able to use the genetically normal embryonic stem cell lines like UM4-6, together with disease-specific embryonic stem cell lines, as a model system to investigate what causes these diseases and come up with treatments,” says Sue O’Shea, professor of Cell and Developmental Biology, and co-director of the Consortium for Stem Cell Therapies.
U-M also has two other human embryonic stem cells lines submitted to the national registry. Both are disease specific, the first carrying the genetic defect that causes hemophilia B, and the other carries the gene responsible for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a hereditary neurological disorder.
Smith expects to soon submit eight additional human embryonic stem lines for consideration on the national registry: three genetically normal and five new disease specific lines.
This is a historic achievement that will lead to treatments and cures for serious, life-altering diseases and is more evidence that our University of Michigan researchers are leading the world in cutting-edge science that will impact health around the globe, says Eva Feldman, M.D., Ph.D., director of the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute.
"This is another major step forward for medical science in Michigan. This opens us another avenue for researchers to really begin exploring the causes and progression of those diseases, with the ultimate goal of finding new therapies for patients," says Feldman.
Contributors to the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute's Consortium for Stem Cell Therapies include the Taubman Institute; the Office of the Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs; the Office of the Medical School Dean; the Comprehensive Cancer Center; the Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases; the Office of the Vice President for Research; the School of Dentistry; the Department of Pathology; the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology; the College of Engineering; the Life Sciences Institute; the Department of Neurology; and U-M's Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research.
A. Alfred Taubman, founder and chair of U-M’s Taubman Institute, called the registry placement a tremendous step for stem cell research.
“I consider stem cells to be a modern medical miracle – the most exciting advance in medicine since antibiotics. The progress we have made throughout the state in stem cell research has been nothing short of remarkable,” says Taubman.
“This milestone means much to the University of Michigan and the state of Michigan, but also to the world. It offers another route for researchers to move ahead in studying these horrible diseases. We hope it is the first of many lines that the University of Michigan can contribute to the global efforts to improve human health.”
For more information about the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute at the University of Michigan Medical School, visit www.taubmaninstitute.org
For more information about stem cell research at U-M, visit http://www.umich.edu/stemcell
Why it's so hard to stay slim: Taubman Scholar Dr. Charles Burant aims to find out
Anybody can lose weight, says Taubman Scholar Dr. Charles Burant.
It’s keeping off the lost pounds that’s the problem, he says. The stubborn propensity of the human body to regain after successful dieting is a conundrum that continues to stump, frustrate and discourage dieters and doctors alike.
Dr. Burant, a U-M physician and medical school professor who also runs a research lab, is trying to solve the riddle. As director of the U-M Metabolomics and Obesity Center, and head of the U-M Nutrition Obesity Research Center, he’s supervising a wide range of obesity-related research.
For example, his teams are trying to find out how a certain strain of rats bred for their ability run on a treadmill seem to be able to eat more but gain far less weight than their partners who don’t run as well — , even when they just sit around in their cage.
“The good- running rats even live longer and are really healthy” says Dr. Burant. “I really want to know how they do that!”
His lab is also studying what makes the brain feel sated, in hopes of pinpointing specific nutrients that, consumed after weight loss, will help dieters keep the weight from coming back. To do this, they are sampling the blood, tissue and even spinal fluid of weight-loss patients to find out how the body changes as it shrinks. They also are testing the dieters for their treadmill running ability, to see if that has any relationship to how much weight is lost and how much weight is regained.
“Obesity is probably the biggest public health problem in the nation,” said Dr. Burant, noting that about two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese. “And that leads to many other health problems. If everyone could lose even 10 pounds, we could likely save billions of dollars per year.”
Burant ‘s interest in the seemingly intractable expansion of the obesity ‘epidemic’ grew out of his work treating patients with diabetes and other metabolic disorders. An avid scientist who originally sought a Ph.D., but became interested in medicine by taking some required medical school courses in graduate school, he ended up earning an M.D. as well from the Medical University of South Carolina. He came to Ann Arbor in 1998.
Appointed a Taubman Scholar in 2011, Burant will receive $150,000 a year for three years to fund his research. The Taubman Institute grant will make it possible to launch a new line of research: Studying the spinal fluid of weight-loss patients willing to undergo a lumbar puncture in the interest of aiding medical science.
“What we really want to get to is what the brain is seeing, not just what’s in the blood,” he said.
Human subjects for the studies are recruited from a U-M weight-loss program Dr. Burant runs along with Dr. Amy Rothberg, Dr. Andrew Kraftson and a team of dieticians and scientists.
Obese people enrolled in the program are put on an 800-calorie-per-day diet; the average loss over three to four months on a liquid diet is a little over 20 percent of body weight. Participants receive periodic counseling, medical checks and other support even after being prescribed a ‘normal’ but calorically reduced diet designed to maintain the lower body weight. Patients enter the research studies voluntarily and undergo a variety of tests from treadmill running to blood analysis after eating a liquid meal.
Two years into it, Dr. Burant has made a few observations.
“We have some results that suggest that changes in the use of certain lipids and amino acids might affect how well you lose weight,” he said. “ Now we want to see if it makes a difference for regaining weight. We need to study more people several years out — after their big weight loss — to really understand what is going on.
He is fairly certain of one thing: “You can eat Twinkies and Doritos if you want.” Of course, junk food is not his recommendation, but speaking purely of weight loss, 800 calories of cupcakes will produce the same loss as 800 calories a day of lettuce.
Educating people about how to accurately measure their food intake is key, he said, noting that those with obese-level body mass are found to underestimate the number of calories they eat by a whopping 50 percent.
“We don’t expect to make everybody perfect but we hope to understand what approach and what types of foods may help in preventing weight gain,” Dr. Burant said.
About Dr. Charles F. Burant
Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Professor of Metabolism
Professor, U-M Department of Internal Medicine, Professor of Molecular and Integrative Physiology
Taubman Scholar, A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute
Director, Michigan Metabolomics and Obesity Center
Director, U-M Nutrition Obesity Research Center
Board certified in internal medicine with subspecialty certification in endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism
Taubman Scholar Dr. Max Wicha: Some cancer treatments increase cancer stem cells
Ann Arbor, Mich. -- Cancer drugs designed to curb the growth of blood vessels that feed tumors have been found to increase the number of cancer stem cells in breast tumors in mice, according to a new study authored by Taubman Institute Senior Scholar Dr. Max Wicha.
That suggests a possible new explanation for why the drugs Avastin and Sutent don't lead to longer cancer survival rates in humans.
The researchers treated mice with breast cancer using Avastin and Sutent, both of which work by stopping the growth and formation of blood vessels, a process called angiogenesis. They found that turmors treated with these drugs developed more cancer stem cells, the cells that fuel a cancer's growth and spread, and that often are resistant to standard treatment. Both the number of cancer stem cells and the percentage of cancer stem cells that make up the tumor increased after being treated with each of these therapies.
"This study provides an explanation for the clinical trial results demonstrating that n women with breast cancer, antiangiogenic agens such as Avastin delay the time to tumor recurrance but do not affect patient survival," said Dr. Wicha, director of the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.
In 2003, Dr. Wicha was part of the U-M research team that discovered stem cells in breast cancer — the first cancer stem cells to be found in any human solid tumor.
"Our research now suggests that in order to be effective, these agents will need to be combined with cancer stem cell inhibitors, an approach now being explored in the laboratory," he said.
The researchers found that the cancer stem cells increased because of a cellular response to low oxygen, a condition called hypoxia. And they were able to determine the specific pathways involved in hypoxia that activate the cancer stem cells.
Results of the study appear online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition.
Taubman-funded study finds inefficiencies in neuropathy diagnoses
Ann Arbor, Mich. -- A study funded by the Taubman Institute and the Rayner Program for a Cure has found that the most efficient diagnostic tools are not always used.
Instead, neuropathy patients are more likely to receive high-cost, low-yield screending, according to a study led by Dr. Brian Callaghan, assistant professor of neurology at the University of Michigan Medical School. Callaghan also is the associate director of the ALS clinic headed by Taubman Institute Director Dr. Eva Feldman. Feldman also participated in the neuropathy study, along with several colleagues.
For patients with peripheral neuropathy, the nerves that carry information to and from the brain don't work properly. This commonly leads to tingling or burning in arms or legs, and loss of feelings. Symptoms can go from subtle to severe.
Patients diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy typically are given many tests, but physicians are highly variable in their approach.
"We spend a lot of money to work up a diagnosis of neuropathy," said Callaghan. "The question is whether that money is well-spent."
The full study results are reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Read the complete U-M press release here.
Taubman Scholar Dr. Charles Burant weighs in on Paula Deen diabetes furor
Ann Arbor -- Taubman Scholar Dr. Charles Burant, an expert in diabetes and obesity, is among the physicians weighing in this week in the national press -- including this UPI article -- on the uproar surrounding celebrity chef Paula Deen.
Deen, known for cooking rich, buttery meals on her Food Network program and for touting goods like ham and comfort-food cookbooks, revealed earlier this week that she was diagnosed three years ago with Type 2 diabetes. She also said she'll be a spokeswoman for Novo Nordisk, a phramaceutical firm and maker of the diabetes drug Victoza.
Critics and bloggers have assailed Deen for promoting an unhealthy lifestyle despite her own diagnosis; she says she's always advised moderation in consumption of sugary, fatty foods.
“Type 2 diabetes has a genetic component, but the food we eat has a big role in its development,” says Burant. An M.D., Ph.D. and metabolism expert at the University of Michigan, Burant directs the Michigan Metabolomics and Obesity Center.
“The amount of food is probably what is the most important. High-fat foods are very dense in calories, so the amount of calories goes up rapidly with even small servings,” says Burant.
His advice: “The things that Ms. Deen prepares are very tasty, but if you’re going to eat them, you should choose only small servings and resist second helpings.”
What is diabetes? About 26 million adults and children in the United States have diabetes, which is diagnosed when the body has an abnormally high level of glucose, or blood sugar. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form, affecting 90 percent of diabetics, and is associated with older age, obesity and family history.
What can be done about it? There is no cure for diabetes, but those with diabetes can prevent complications by controlling blood sugar through diet and medications.
Resources
U-M Comprehensive Diabetes Center
http://www.med.umich.edu/diabetes
U-M Metabolism, Endocrinology & Diabetes Clinics
http://www.uofmhealth.org/medical-services/endocrinology+diabetes+and+metabolism
Brehm Center for Diabetes Research
http://www.med.umich.edu/diabetes/brehmcenter/
Next Taubman Talks lectures slated for Feb. 1
The institute's Taubman Talks lecture series will resume Feb. 1 with two genetics-oriented talks presented by University of Michigan physician-scientists.
Johann E. Gudjonsson, M.D., Ph.D., will speak on "The role of the IL12B associated psoriasis risk allele int he pathogenesis of psoriasis." Dr. Gudjonsson is a Taubman Emerging Scholar and assistant professor of dermatology at the U-M Medical School.
Next, Karl C. Desch, M.D., will present his lecture, "Genomic investigation of complex traits in hemostasis and thrombosis." Dr. Desch is a clinical assistant professor of pediatrics and communicable diseases. He also is affiliated with the laboratory of Dr. David Ginsburg, a Taubman Scholar.
The lectures will take place from 4-5 p.m. in the Danto Auditorium of the U-M's cardiovascular center. No registration is required and members of the public are welcome.
Dr. Jeffrey Trent to deliver Jan. 18 Visiting Professor lecture
The distinguished biomedical researcher Dr. Jeffrey Trent will deliver the Taubman Institute's Visiting Professor lecture at 4 p.m. on Jan. 18.
Dr. Trent is president and research director of the Van Andel Research Institute as well as the founding president and research director of the Translational Genomics Research Institute.
According to the Van Andel Institute, his research has provided important insights into the genetic basis of cancer. He specializes in developing and integrating novel “omic” technologies, supporting studies of molecular changes related to the predisposition to, and progression of, human cancers and other complex diseases.
The topic of his lecture is “Using Biointelligence to Search the Cancer Genome: Knowledge Recovery Efforts to Move Toward Precision Medical Genomics (PMG)." It will be held at the Danto Auditorium in the University of Michigan Health System's Cardiovascular Center; no registration is required.
An informal reception will follow.
Taubman Institute launches $100,000 translational science prize
Ann Arbor, Mich. – Physician-scientists worldwide will vie for the newly established $100,000 annual Taubman Prize for Excellence in Translational Medical Science starting in 2012, the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute has announced.
The Taubman Prize will recognize work in the crucial field of translational research – research, like that supported by the Taubman Institute at the University of Michigan, which seeks to transform laboratory discoveries into clinical applications for patients suffering from disease.
“Here at the University of Michigan we are making great strides in translational medical science,” said Dr. Frank Brosius III, a Taubman Scholar and member of the selection committee. “By offering this award to the global community of clinician-scientists we hope to honor and support pathfinding work being done around the world – research that has led to new cures and treatments for the devastating conditions we battle every day.”
The $100,000 award will be presented at the institute’s annual symposium, held each fall, to the clinician-scientist making the most significant contribution to translating basic research findings into medical practice. The winner will be asked to serve as keynote speaker for the event.
“This awards program is the next logical step for the Taubman Institute,” said Taubman Institute Director Eva Feldman, M.D., Ph.D.
“It complements our mission of supporting clinician-researchers as they strive to find cures and treatments that can move swiftly from the lab to patients, and it will bring even more eminent scientists to Ann Arbor to exchange knowledge and ideas with our Taubman Scholars and the U-M community,” says Feldman, who also is the Russell N. DeJong Professor of Neurology at U-M.
Nominations will be judged on their contribution to translating basic research findings into clinical applications and by the manner in which their clinical practice connects to their research. All clinician-scientists, regardless of country, are eligible, excluding U-M researchers.
The winner will be chosen each year by a national panel of distinguished scientists.
Self-nomination is permitted. Application guidelines and forms are online at http://www.taubmaninstitute.org/programs/2012-taubman-prize. The deadline for all nominations is April 1, 2012.
About the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute: In 2007 Michigan businessman and philanthropist A. Alfred Taubman provided the initial funds to establish the institute bearing his name at the University of Michigan Medical School. Its mission is to provide the university’s finest medical scientists the freedom, resources and collaborative environment they need to push the boundaries of medical discovery, to produce breakthroughs in cures to speed the development of effective treatment for some of the most devastating illnesses. Currently, 16 Taubman Scholars are advancing their research with the assistance of grants from the institute, which also established the Consortium for Stem Cell Therapies at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, the first embryonic stem cell facility in the state.
Consortium's induced stem cell line offers hope for bipolar disorder
A stem cell line created by the Taubman Institute's Consortium for Stem Cell Therapies may help in finding new treatments for people with bipolar disorder.
As featured on the health news service Advanceweb.com, the consortium scientists used skill cells from patients with bipolar disorder to create induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) which then can be manipulated to develop into different types of cells, including brain cells. In turn, that will help scientists study various attributes of the neurons of people with the disorder.
The bipolar line is one of several iPSC and embryonic lines already created by the consortium, which was founded in 2009 with support from the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute.
Taubman Scholar Dr. Arul Chinnaiyan featured in Medical News Today
Dr. Arul Chinnaiyan, a Taubman Scholar and the director of the Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, is featured in a recent Medical News Today article. The story outlines the work he's doing -- along with other U-M researchers and physicians -- to use genetic sequencing as a means of matching cancer patients with the most appropriate clinical trial.
Patients, for example, whose cancer is resisting conventional treatment could be quickly matched with an experimental trial based on the gene mutations discovered in the analysis.
Taubman Talks series continues Dec. 7 at 4 p.m.
The Taubman Talks series continues Wednesday, Dec. 7, with presentations by Dr. Mukesh Nyati and Dr. Scott Visovatti at 4 p.m. in the Danto Auditorium of the U-M Cardiovascular Center.
Dr. Nyati will deliver a talk entitled "Disruption of the EGFR-HSP90 complex as a therapeutic strategy for EGFR-driven tumors."
Dr. Visovatti's presentation is entitled "The role of ectoneucleotidases in pulmonary arterial hypertension."
The genearl public is welcome to attend. A short reception will follow at 5 p.m.
Taubman Talks, presented by the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Instittue, are monthly presentations featuring guest speakers nominated by Taubman Scholars.
Emerging Scholar receives prestigious neurology award
Dr. James Dowling, an Emerging Scholar sponsored by the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute, has been honored with the 2011 Phillip R. Dodge Young Investigator Award by the Child Neurology Society.
The award, which includes a $20,000 grant, is presented each year for research by promising young scientists on the basis of originality, merit and other criteria.
“Dr. Dowling submitted an outstanding proposal, and although competition was very high, he received the best scores in each category,” said Dr. Nigel Bamford, the chair of the awards committee.
Dr. Dowling’s nomination was based on his work in the field of congenital muscle disorders and his use of zebrafish to better understand cause of diseases and to identify new potential therapies for these disorders.
“I am extremely honored to receive the award,” he said. “To be listed with the extremely prestigious group of previous winners was certainly a great honor, and to receive an award named after one of the "founding fathers" of child neurology is truly special.
“The money from the award will help support cutting edge research on the use of zebrafish models as means for novel drug discovery in a group of childhood muscle diseases that currently have no treatments.”
Dr. Dowling is director of the U-M Muscular Dystrophy Clinic and an assistant professor in pediatrics, communicable diseases and neurology at the U-M Medical School.
Young Friends group visits Taubman Institute labs
Members of the New York chapter of the Young Friends of the Taubman Institute supporters group visited Ann Arbor for a personal tour of research laboratories supported by Taubman Institute grants.
The group visited stem cell labs, a breeding center for the zebrafish used in animal models of disease and other facilities located in the A. Alfred Taubman Biomedical Research Building on the University of Michigan campus.
The group also toured the university's North Campus Research Center and met informally with Alfred Taubman and institute scientists for an update on programs and research.
The Young Friends of the Taubman Institute was formed to raise awareness of Taubman-funded medical research among a new generation of leaders. It has chapters in New York and Michigan.
Operation marks another step forward in stem cell research
Atlanta (CNN) -- A 50-year-old man from Trion, Georgia, is the first person to be injected with stem cells in the upper part of the spinal cord, making him yet another pioneer in the scientific quest to use stem cells to heal.
Richard Grosjean received the treatment Friday. He is part of an ongoing FDA-approved clinical trial that is testing the safety of injecting stem cells into the spinal cords of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
Newsweek's Daily Beast reports on first surgery in trial’s new phase
After Geron, Stem Cells’ New Saviors
The biotech Geron may have abandoned its famous effort to treat paralyzed patients with stem cells—but two rivals are swooping in to do groundbreaking trials, Sharon Begley reports. So far, their results are even more promising.
by Sharon Begley The Daily Beast | November 18, 2011
When the biotech company Geron announced this week that it was halting its pioneering stem-cell program—whose centerpiece is a clinical trial in which four paralyzed patients with spinal-cord injuries were injected with cells derived from embryonic stem cells—the chief scientist at a rival firm had one thought: “I guess that leaves us holding the flag,” Robert Lanza of Advanced Cell Technology told me. “There’s a lot of weight on us to deliver now.”
Katharine Rayner Fund for Biomedical Research to Bolster ALS Research at Michigan
The efforts of physician-scientists in the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute to find an effective treatment for patients with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have received a substantial boost from a $1 million gift from Mrs. Katharine J. Rayner, a prominent philanthropist based in New York City, which will establish the Kathy Rayner Fund for Biomedical Research and support the work of a Kathy Rayner Scholar in the institute.
Four Taubman Scholars to share in $3.5 million diabetes grant
Kidney damage, loss of vision and mobility-limiting nerve damage are among the most dreaded side effects of diabetes, an illness affecting nearly 26 million adults and children in the United States.
And in recognition of their standing in the quest for treatments and their expertise which spans the categories of major side effects, Taubman Institute director Dr. Eva Feldman and three other Taubman Scholars are among the U-M researchers to share in a $3.5 million grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to study the complications of diabetes.
Taubman Institute Visiting Professor Series hosts Wayne State expert
Jian-Ping Jin, M.D., Ph.D., Professor and Chair of the Wayne State University’s Department of Physiology, will speak on Wednesday, Nov. 30, as part of the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute’s Visiting Professor lecture series.
FDA approves next step in stem cell trial directed by Taubman Institute’s Dr. Eva Feldman
The Food and Drug Administration has approved the next phase of a clinical trial of stem cell therapy for ALS patients being conducted by Eva Feldman, M.D., Ph.D., director of the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute.
In the trial’s first phase, Feldman and her collaborators injected stem cells into the lumbar area of spinal cords of 12 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease). There have been no adverse side effects related to the procedure.
Taubman Scholar Dr. Charles Burant hosts obesity symposium
Ann Arbor, Mich. – More than 150 participants attended lectures on obesity-related research topics at the 6th annual symposium hosted Wednesday in Ann Arbor by the Nutrition Obesity Research Center and the Michigan Metabolomics and Obesity Center (MMOC) at the University of Michigan.
Dr. Charles Burant, head of the MMOC and a Taubman Scholar research scientist, hosted the day-long event at Palmer Commons on the university campus. The A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute was among the event sponsors.
University of Michigan announces $100,000 science prize funded by billionaire A. Alfred Taubman
Ann Arbor, Mich – Billionaire A. Alfred Taubman will fund a $100,000 science prize — a carrot meant to lure the most talented “clinician-scientists” in the world to the University of Michigan, the university announced today.
Eva Feldman, the director of the 4-year-old A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute at the University of Michigan Health System, said Taubman wants “a 100,000 gift given to the best clinician scientists in the world.” We anticipate this person will come speak at our annual symposium each year; and anticipate it will bring exceptional clinician scientists to the University of Michigan.”
Gov. Rick Snyder: State should invest in biomedical research
Ann Arbor, Mich – Gov. Rick Snyder said today he wants the state to make sustained investment in biomedical research that will boost the economy in the long term and push forward new medical discoveries.
“We can come up with the idea, prove the scientific principles behind it, and we can also take it and make it into an application where it can touch peoples’ lives. That’s truly exciting,” said Snyder, delivering remarks at the annual Taubman Symposium on the University of Michigan campus.
Hope for obesity and cancer cures presented at 4th annual Taubman Institute Symposium
Ann Arbor, Mich. – Following a keynote address by Gov. Rick Snyder, scientists funded by the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute presented updates on their quest for cures to an audience of more than 200 at the institute’s fourth annual symposium on Oct. 14.
The event at the A. Alfred Taubman Biomedical Research Building on the University of Michigan campus brought together students, researchers, elected officials, donors and philanthropists with university officials including U-M President Mary Sue Coleman and Ora Hirsch Pescovitz, executive vice president for medical affairs and CEO of the U-M Health System.
A. Alfred Taubman becomes U-M’s largest individual donor with latest gift to Taubman Institute
Ann Arbor, Mich. – A. Alfred Taubman, whose financial gifts to the University of Michigan totaling $142 million, has donated more money to the university than any other single individual.
With a gift of $56 million in April to the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute, Mr. Taubman’s support of medical science at U-M stands at $100 million. Past gifts have benefitted the College of Architecture and Urban Planning, the Medical School, the College of Literature, Science, and Arts and the recent world-class renovation of the U-M Art Museum.
Taubman Institute now boasts 16 Taubman scientists
Ann Arbor, Mich. – A dozen cutting-edge researchers now are leading the charge for new cures under the auspices of the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute at the University of Michigan.
Since its founding in 2008 with a gift from philanthropist A. Alfred Taubman, the institute has awarded funding to clinician-scientists seeking innovative new treatments for diseases ranging from ALS to cancer to diabetes.
And with the recent addition of diabetic retinopathy expert Tom Gardner, M.D., a professor of ophthalmology and physiology at the University of Michigan’s Kellogg Eye Center, the roster of Taubman Scholars, including senior Scholars and those in the Emerging Scholars program for up-and-coming young scientists, has grown to 16.
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Taubman Scholar Dr. Arul Chinnaiyan hopes to launch new prostate cancer test
Diagnostic tool would look for cancer biomarkers to augment traditional prostate cancer screening and help eliminate ambiguous results many men currently receive.
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Tour the laboratory with Taubman Medical Research Institute Director Dr. Eva Feldman as she explains how stem cells are being used in the quest for treatment for ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Annual Symposium
Taubman Institute hosts 4th annual event
Following a keynote address by Gov. Rick Snyder, scientists funded by the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute presented updates on...
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