COBRE (Phase I) Awards – November 2009

NCRR's Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) support thematic multidisciplinary centers that augment and strengthen institutional biomedical research capacity. This is accomplished by expanding and developing biomedical faculty research capability and enhancing research infrastructure, including the establishment of core facilities needed to carry out the objectives of a multidisciplinary, collaborative program.

Supported by NCRR's Division of Research Infrastructure (DRI), COBREs are led by NIH-funded investigators with expertise central to the theme of the grant proposal. The centers promote collaborative interactive efforts among researchers with complementary backgrounds, skills and expertise. In some instances, COBRE support will facilitate the development of new disease-specific research centers or augment the capability of existing centers. Researchers supported through the COBREs are expected to compete independently for external peer-reviewed grant support.

Clemson University

Clemson, S.C.

South Carolina COBRE Center of Biomaterials for Tissue Regeneration (SCBIOMAT)

Principal Investigator
Naren Vyavahare, Ph.D.
E-mail: narenv@clemson.edu

Description:

The primary goal of this COBRE proposal is to increase the number of NIH-supported biomedical researchers in South Carolina, particularly at Clemson University (CU). For this purpose, CU's unique strengths in biomaterials and tissue engineering will be complemented by expertise in medicine and developmental biology at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and the University of South Carolina to establish a South Carolina COBRE Center of Biomaterials for Tissue Regeneration (SCBIOMAT) at CU. A highly-qualified cadre of mentors will guide junior investigators toward independence as NIH-supported investigators. The center's focus, regulation of tissue regeneration through cell biomaterials interactions, addresses a significant cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide: end-stage organ failure and tissue loss. Four projects from junior investigators have been rigorously selected to fit this theme: 1) stem cell-myocyte electrical coupling via a laser-patterned cell bridge; 2) biomaterials for guided neural regeneration; 3) BMP-4 as a novel angiogenic factor and its potential use in tissue engineering; and 4) endothelial response-guided design of hyaluronan-based vascular grafts.

As part of the COBRE's support for research, three facilities with core equipment and expertise will be established. CU will establish the Material Synthesis, Characterization, and Testing Core and the Histology and Imaging Core. MUSC will establish the Cell and Molecular Engineering Core.

The state of South Carolina and the three institutions have developed the Center of Economic Excellence in Regenerative Medicine supporting three endowed chairs who will actively participate in the COBRE program and further enhance the programmatic development of the COBRE.

Rhode Island Hospital

Providence, R.I.

Stem Cell Biology: New Directions in Clinical and Basic Research

Principal Investigator
Peter Quesenberry, M.D.
E-mail: pquesenberry@lifespan.org

Description:

This COBRE has five objectives: 1) to develop a strong mentoring group of established investigators with complementary backgrounds in stem cell biology, molecular biology and transcriptional regulation of differentiation, pulmonary physiology and biology, and the translation of basic research to clinical therapy; 2) to enhance infrastructure support by providing Core laboratories, administrative support and total resources to increase the research competitiveness of the center's faculty; 3) to recruit and retain funded, junior and established faculty so as to continue the establishment of Rhode Island Hospital as a major stem cell research center; 4) to determine the true phenotype of marrow stem cells and their tissue fate; and 5) to translate basic stem cell studies into clinical trials on tissue restoration or correction in patients with chronic obstructive lung disease and refractory hematologic malignancies.

An experienced group of scientists will mentor at least three promising junior investigators. The work is thematically coordinated around stem cell biology and approaches to modulating the stem cell phenotype. The three projects are: 1) Injured Lung and its Influence on Marrow Cell Phenotype; 2) Directed Stem Cell Hematopoieis and Differentiation; and 3) Tyrosine Phosphatase Shp2 in Stem Cell Property Maintenance. This grant holds real promise for expanding our understanding of stem cell biology and developing unique new approaches for tissue regeneration in lung and marrow diseases.