Affiliations
Our Division, under the leadership of Dr. Ronald G. Crystal, is affiliated with several other programs within Weill Medical College of Cornell University. Dr. Crystal is also the chairman of the Department of Genetic Medicine, and several of our faculty members share joint appointments in this Department, and participate in both its teaching and research activities. In addition, the Belfer Gene Therapy Core Facility and The Ansary Center for Stem Cell Therapeutics enable members of out Division to work with Weill Cornell scientists in the translation of bench research into clinical projects. Although the majority of our clinical service is performed at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Center, our clinicians also perform pulmonary consultations at the Hospital for Special Surgery, a nationally renowned hospital for individuals with rheumatologic or orthopedic disorders.
The Department of Genetic Medicine
The mission of the Department of Genetic Medicine is to foster the growth and development of basic and applied research programs directed toward strategies for understanding and modifying gene expression for the treatment and /or prevention of human disease. The basic research program focuses on defining and understanding the impact of the genetic repertoire on specific biological processes, and the applied program practices manipulation of the genetic program of cells and organisms relevant to therapeutic strategies in disease models. There are significant ongoing programs in combining gene therapy and stem cell therapy, to develop treatments for human disorders. All of these programs focus on molecular, cellular, and developmental aspects of genomics in which cutting edge basic research can be translated into improved understanding and treatment of human disease. The Department seeks to sponsor and inspire a productive community of scholars, facilitate access to the most current knowledge, technical expertise and innovations relevant to Genetic Medicine, and promotes the highest level of academic distinction among the students, postdoctoral trainees, faculty, and staff.
The Belfer Gene Therapy Core Facility
The Belfer Gene Therapy Core Facility provides the infrastructure to carry out basic, translational and clinical research utilizing gene transfer. The Belfer Gene Therapy Core Facility is fully equipped core facility devoted exclusively to developing and assessing gene transfer vectors. The Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) Core is comprised of the GMP facility which occupies approximately 2,400 square feet devoted exclusively to production of gene transfer vectors and gene modified cells for human therapeutic trials. The design, construction, and validation of the GMP production facility is monitored and reviewed with the FDA to assure full compliance with all current GMPs. The Vector Core functions as a resource to investigators to provide centralized expert services and training in the design, creation, and production of gene transfer vectors, and to provide a characterized repository of gene transfer vectors and related reagents for use by investigators. The primary resource of the Vector Core is the expertise to efficiently design, construct and produce gene transfer vectors, including adenovirus (Ad), adenoassociated virus (AAV), lentivirus, retrovirus vectors, as well as non-viral vectors and plasmid vectors. New cDNA's of biological significance are continuously being acquired and used to make advanced gene transfer vectors.
The Ansary Center for Stem Cell Therapeutics
The Ansary Stem Cell Center was created in 2004 to bring together a multidisciplinary premier team of physician scientists, and to attract the best and brightest young researchers in the field. Stem cells are immature cells that can differentiate into all types of cells in the body, from heart-beat-generating cardiac cells to insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Embryonic stem cells have the potential to develop into all types of cells in the body. Adult stem cells-which can be found in umbilical cord blood, bone marrow, blood, and other parts of the body have the potential to generate a variety of cell types. The Ansary Center takes a synergistic approach to stem cell research, bringing together scientists from different areas of biomedical research to solve complex problems. They hope to discover ways to manipulate stem cells to treat human illness. In particular, the researchers hope to understand the regulation of cells that give rise to blood vessels, to insulin-producing cells in the pancreas (which are damaged in diabetics), the lungs, and cells of the nervous system. One research project is assessing the potential role for stem cells in regenerating new lung tissue in adults.
The Hospital for Special Surgery
Founded in 1863, Hospital for Special Surgery is the oldest orthopedic hospital in the country. Recognized since its inception as a world leader in musculoskeletal medicine, the Hospital’s strength lies in the depth of experience of its physicians and clinical staff and the knowledge they can access from nearly 140 years of familiarity with essentially every musculoskeletal disease known. It has one of the most sought after residency programs in orthopedics with over 400 applicants competing for eight spots in 2004. Today, over 400 of its 500+ graduates hold positions in major orthopedic departments, many serving as department heads.[Read More]