 Center of Excellence for Apoptosis Research Established at PVLSI Through $3 Million Grant
Oct. 25, 2006
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC) today announced a $3 million investment in the Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute (PVLSI) to establish a new Center for Excellence in Apoptosis Research. The center will draw upon the expertise of PVLSI, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Baystate Medical Center to pursue new clinical treatments for disease by identifying and regulating signaling pathways of the biological process of cell death.
“This investment from MTC’s John Adams Innovation Institute will stimulate new research in the life sciences and lead to medical innovations that we hope will also spur economic development in the Pioneer Valley,” said MTC Executive Director Mitch Adams. MTC is a statewide economic development agency focused on strengthening the state’s innovation economy, which is responsible for nearly a quarter of all jobs in Massachusetts. PVLSI is a partnership of UMass Amherst and Baystate Medical Center, based in Springfield.
Apoptosis is the process of programmed cell death, which takes place in all of our tissues to remove surplus or defective cells. It has been estimated that we normally lose about 1 million cells per second to apoptosis. However, defects in apoptosis underlie about 70% of human disease. Dr. Lawrence Schwartz, director of PVLSI and a UMass Amherst faculty member, said, “Understanding apoptosis on a tissue-specific basis will open enormous opportunities for treating, preventing or delaying the onset of various types of cancer, cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative disorders, and autoimmune diseases. The hope is that new therapies can be found that exploit specific mechanisms to correct defects in apoptosis that underlie disease while leaving healthy cells alone.”
The grant announcement was made at news conference at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. The significance of the new center, to be based at PVLSI in Springfield, was highlighted by officials who participated in the event. The group included: UMass Amherst Chancellor John V. Lombardi; Baystate Health President and CEO Mark R. Tolosky; PVLSI Executive Director Dr. Paul Friedmann; PVLSI Science Director Schwartz, who will head the new center; Kevin Kennedy of Congressman Richard E. Neal’s office; State Senator Stanley C. Rosenberg; members of the Western Massachusetts legislative delegation; and Springfield Mayor Charles Ryan.
UMass Amherst is recognized as a world leader in the field of apoptosis and is widely recognized for its complementary expertise in the life sciences, physical sciences and engineering—including protein misfolding, nanotechnology, polymer engineering, muscle biology, and artificial intelligence. Baystate Medical Center is an outstanding regional medical center and teaching hospital.
Chancellor Lombardi observed, “By coupling the research capabilities of both institutions in PVLSI, from basic to clinical, this new center will create a novel research enterprise. We will focus on problems that fit with our areas of expertise and we will take advantage of our strength in interdisciplinary research to differentiate ourselves and compete on a global basis.”
“Today’s generous investment in the Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative is greatly appreciated and is a testament to the innovative biomedical research that our Baystate physicians, alongside academic scientists from the University of Massachusetts, are conducting right here in western Massachusetts,” said Mark R. Tolosky, president and CEO of Baystate Health.
One of the key components of success for the new center will be its ability to attract highly skilled and talented faculty to the University of Massachusetts, Baystate Medical Center and PVLSI as biomedical investigators. The center will also provide support for the research, technology, and workforce needs of more than 20 Massachusetts companies currently involved with apoptosis-related research and product development.
“This center presents an enormous opportunity for the Pioneer Valley to reap the vast economic benefits from the state’s growing life sciences sector, which is critical to our high-tech, knowledge-based economy in Massachusetts,” said John Adams Innovation Institute Director Patrick Larkin.
About the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative: The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative is an independent, statewide economic development agency based in Westborough that is focused on strengthening the state's high tech industry clusters. The John Adams Innovation Institute, MTC’s economic development division, strives to improve Massachusetts’ competitive edge in the innovation economy, supporting industry clusters and institutions in efforts to stimulate new job creation and job retention in knowledge-and technology-based companies. For more information, please visit the agency’s website www.masstech.org.
About the University of Massachusetts Amherst: Founded in 1863, the University of Massachusetts Amherst is a major public research university and the flagship of the five-campus state university system. At UMass Amherst, 10 schools and colleges offer 93 undergraduate degree programs as well as 70 master’s and 50 doctoral programs. Sponsored research activities total more than $100 million per year, providing a major stimulus for the Massachusetts economy. For more information, visit www.umass.edu.
About the Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute: Established in 2003, the Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute is an independent, 501 (c) (3) –
non-profit benefit organization dedicated to biomedical research in areas such as breast cancer, diabetes and metabolic disorders, neurodegenerative disorders and apoptosis. The goal of the institute is to provide a novel translational research environment for interdisciplinary teams of life scientists, physical scientists, engineers and physicians.
About Baystate Medical Center: As the flagship hospital of Baystate Health, Baystate Medical Center is the region’s only tertiary care referral medical center and Level I Trauma Center, and is accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. The American Nurses Credentialing Center has named Baystate Medical Center a Magnet hospital, recognizing its excellence in nursing services. The not-for-profit academic teaching hospital is the Western Campus of Tufts University School of Medicine and serves as a regional resource for specialty medical care and research, while providing comprehensive primary medical services to area patients. Baystate Medical Center is also the home to Baystate Children’s Hospital which provides general and specialized care for infants, children, and adolescents throughout Western New England.
#69-07
|
