Established | 1953 |
---|---|
Focus | human genome |
President and CEO | Dr. Jean-Pierre Issa |
Key people | Dr. Lewis L. Coriell |
Address | 403 Haddon Avenue, Camden, NJ 08103 |
Location | |
Website | https://www.coriell.org/ |
The Coriell Institute for Medical Research is an independent, non-profit biomedical research center dedicated to the study of the human genome. Coriell features programs in biobanking, personalized medicine, cell biology, cytogenetics, genotyping, and induced pluripotent stem cell science. [1] Located in downtown Camden, New Jersey, the Institute has partnered with several prominent state and national health leaders, including Cooper University Hospital, the Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, the United States Air Force, the University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University. [2]
Coriell Institute was chartered in 1953 as the South Jersey Medical Research Foundation Laboratory and constructed facilities in 1956. The laboratory was later named for director Lewis L. Coriell, who had worked at the Camden Municipal Hospital and developed aseptic tissue culture techniques that ultimately allowed poliovirus to be grown in culture. Dr. Coriell also led the field trials for the resulting vaccine. [3] [4]
Regarded as one of the most diverse sources of cell lines and DNA available to the international research community, the Coriell Biorepositories maintain longstanding contracts with the National Institutes of Health and houses several significant collections, including the National Institute of General Medical Sciences Human Genetic Cell Repository, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Human Genetics DNA and Cell Line Repository, and the National Institute on Aging Cell Repository. The Institute houses cells for biotechnology companies and research foundations as well.[ citation needed ]
In 2018, Coriell partnered with Cooper University Health Care and the Cooper Medical School of Rowan University to form the Camden Opioid Research Initiative (CORI), a state-funded research project studying risk factors for opioid use disorder. CORI utilizes a three-pronged approach: a study of chronic pain patients, a study of patients currently being treated for opioid use disorder, and the creation of a novel biobank of biological specimens as a resource for addiction researchers. [5]
With these same partners, Coriell launched the Camden Cancer Research Center in 2023. Each of these three organizations has pledged an initial $1 million per year for 10 years, or a total of $30 million over 10 years, to investigate cancer and develop new therapies. [6]
Coriell also contributes to the precision medicine space with its innovative research study, the Coriell Personalized Medicine Collaborative (CPMC). Launched in 2007, the CPMC was a longitudinal initiative involving a network of physicians, scientists, genetic counselors, and hospital and academic partners. The study aims to explore the clinical utility of genetic information and returned individualized reports to nearly 8,000 volunteer participants detailing genetic and non-genetic risks for complex diseases. [7]
A spin-off company called Coriell Life Sciences was formed in January 2013 from a partnership between the Coriell Institute for Medical Research and IBM. The company offers full-service pharmacogenetics screening options to a range of different organizations. [8]
Coriell offers a diverse selection of services to customers and partners interested in outsourcing scientific work. Some of Coriell’s offered services include the creation of induced pluripotent stem cell lines, cell line authentication, cytogenetic analysis, DNA and RNA isolation, and public and private biobanking services.[ citation needed ]
Coriell’s quality management system has been certified to the latest ISO 9001:2015 standards. [9]
In genetics and developmental biology, somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is a laboratory strategy for creating a viable embryo from a body cell and an egg cell. The technique consists of taking an denucleated oocyte and implanting a donor nucleus from a somatic (body) cell. It is used in both therapeutic and reproductive cloning. In 1996, Dolly the sheep became famous for being the first successful case of the reproductive cloning of a mammal. In January 2018, a team of scientists in Shanghai announced the successful cloning of two female crab-eating macaques from foetal nuclei.
Leroy "Lee" Edward Hood is an American biologist who has served on the faculties at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and the University of Washington. Hood has developed ground-breaking scientific instruments which made possible major advances in the biological sciences and the medical sciences. These include the first gas phase protein sequencer (1982), for determining the sequence of amino acids in a given protein; a DNA synthesizer (1983), to synthesize short sections of DNA; a peptide synthesizer (1984), to combine amino acids into longer peptides and short proteins; the first automated DNA sequencer (1986), to identify the order of nucleotides in DNA; ink-jet oligonucleotide technology for synthesizing DNA and nanostring technology for analyzing single molecules of DNA and RNA.
Stanford University School of Medicine is the medical school of Stanford University and is located in Stanford, California. It traces its roots to the Medical Department of the University of the Pacific, founded in San Francisco in 1858. This medical institution, then called Cooper Medical College, was acquired by Stanford in 1908. The medical school moved to the Stanford campus near Palo Alto, California, in 1959.
Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are pluripotent stem cells derived from the inner cell mass of a blastocyst, an early-stage pre-implantation embryo. Human embryos reach the blastocyst stage 4–5 days post fertilization, at which time they consist of 50–150 cells. Isolating the inner cell mass (embryoblast) using immunosurgery results in destruction of the blastocyst, a process which raises ethical issues, including whether or not embryos at the pre-implantation stage have the same moral considerations as embryos in the post-implantation stage of development.
Biomedicine is a branch of medical science that applies biological and physiological principles to clinical practice. Biomedicine stresses standardized, evidence-based treatment validated through biological research, with treatment administered via formally trained doctors, nurses, and other such licensed practitioners.
WiCell Research Institute is a scientific research institute in Madison, Wisconsin that focuses on stem cell research. Independently governed and supported as a 501(c)(3) organization, WiCell operates as an affiliate of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and works to advance stem cell research at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and beyond.
Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza is a private scientific research hospital in San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy, founded by Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, and administered by Vatican City. Inaugurated on 5 May 1956, the hospital has adopted modern technologies and is often considered as one of the most efficient scientific research hospitals in Europe. The building is situated at the highest part of the town, on the top of the hill, giving the location an identity of a hospital-town. Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza has two major activity wings. One of which is an internationally regarded hospital for the relief of suffering and the other is a state-of-the-art scientific research centre which had received the status of a Scientific Hospitalization and Treatment Institute (IRCCS), an institute of national interest, by the decree of Italian Ministry of Health in 1991. The research centre is also home to the Genomic and Genetic Disorders Biobank which is part of the Telethon Network of Genetic Biobanks and conducts basic and pre-clinical research and clinical trials in collaboration with pharmaceutical companies. It is first in the world to run non-profit clinical trials. The hospital has established Institute for Stem-cell Biology, Regenerative Medicine and Innovative Therapies (ISBReMIT) that will be the first factory of GMP neural stem cells in Europe for producing bio-drugs and cell-drugs. ISBReMIT has a dedicated area for the start-ups and spin-offs in biotechnology. Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza also houses a large out-patient clinic, a hospital-school for the children suffering from cancer and other genetic disorders, a reception centre which is a hotel complex, and a social-assistance residence for elderly. Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza also owns two agricultural companies-Masseria Calderoso and Posta La Via. It also hosts one spiritual centre, prayer group and a church. In front of Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza there is Sanctuary of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, named after the founder of this hospital and research centre. In 2023, it was featured on the list of World's Best Smart Hospitals 2023.
Medical genetics is the branch of medicine that involves the diagnosis and management of hereditary disorders. Medical genetics differs from human genetics in that human genetics is a field of scientific research that may or may not apply to medicine, while medical genetics refers to the application of genetics to medical care. For example, research on the causes and inheritance of genetic disorders would be considered within both human genetics and medical genetics, while the diagnosis, management, and counselling people with genetic disorders would be considered part of medical genetics.
Cooper University Hospital is a teaching hospital and biomedical research facility located in Camden, New Jersey. The hospital formerly served as a clinical campus of Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Affiliated with Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, the hospital offers training programs for medical students, residents, fellows, nurses, and allied health professionals. In partnership with the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Cooper operates a comprehensive cancer center serving patients in New Jersey and the Delaware Valley.
A chromosomal abnormality, chromosomal anomaly, chromosomal aberration, chromosomal mutation, or chromosomal disorder is a missing, extra, or irregular portion of chromosomal DNA. These can occur in the form of numerical abnormalities, where there is an atypical number of chromosomes, or as structural abnormalities, where one or more individual chromosomes are altered. Chromosome mutation was formerly used in a strict sense to mean a change in a chromosomal segment, involving more than one gene. Chromosome anomalies usually occur when there is an error in cell division following meiosis or mitosis. Chromosome abnormalities may be detected or confirmed by comparing an individual's karyotype, or full set of chromosomes, to a typical karyotype for the species via genetic testing.
Genetic Alliance is a nonprofit organization, founded in 1986 by Joan O. Weiss, working with Victor A. McKusick, to advocate for health benefits in the accelerating field of genomic research. This organization is a network of over 1,000 disease advocacy organizations, universities, government organizations, private companies, and public policy organizations. They aim to advance genetic research agendas toward health benefit by engaging a broad range of stakeholders, including healthcare providers, researchers, industry professionals, public policy leaders, as well as individuals, families and communities. They create programs using a collaborative approach, and aim to increase efficiency and reduce obstacles in genetic research, while ensuring that voices from the involved disease communities are heard. They also promote public policies to advance healthcare. Genetic Alliance provides technical support and informational resources to guide disease-specific advocacy organizations in being their own research advocates. They also maintain a biobank as a central storage facility for several organizations who otherwise would not have the infrastructure to maintain their own repository.
A biobank is a type of biorepository that stores biological samples for use in research. Biobanks have become an important resource in medical research, supporting many types of contemporary research like genomics and personalized medicine.
Shinya Yamanaka is a Japanese stem cell researcher and a Nobel Prize laureate. He is a professor and the director emeritus of Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University; as a senior investigator at the UCSF-affiliated Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco, California; and as a professor of anatomy at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Yamanaka is also a past president of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR).
A biorepository is a facility that collects, catalogs, and stores samples of biological material for laboratory research. Biorepositories collect and manage specimens from animals, plants, and other living organisms. Biorepositories store many different types of specimens, including samples of blood, urine, tissue, cells, DNA, RNA, and proteins. If the samples are from people, they may be stored with medical information along with written consent to use the samples in laboratory studies.
Dietrich A. Stephan is an American human geneticist and entrepreneur who works in personalized medicine. Stephan is currently CEO of NeuBase Therapeutics and a General Partner in Cyto Ventures. Before NeuBase, Stephan was CEO of LifeX and Chairman and Professor of Human Genetics at the University of Pittsburgh. Prior, he was founding Chairman of the Neurogenomics Division at the Translational Genomics Research Institute. Stephan has founded or co-founded 14 biotechnology companies and advised many others. Stephan was co-founder of Navigenics, a personal genetics company.
Gladstone Institutes is an independent, non-profit biomedical research organization whose focus is to better understand, prevent, treat and cure cardiovascular, viral and neurological conditions such as heart failure, HIV/AIDS and Alzheimer's disease. Its researchers study these diseases using techniques of basic and translational science. Another focus at Gladstone is building on the development of induced pluripotent stem cell technology by one of its investigators, 2012 Nobel Laureate Shinya Yamanaka, to improve drug discovery, personalized medicine and tissue regeneration.
George Quentin Daley is the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Caroline Shields Walker Professor of Medicine, and Professor of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology at Harvard Medical School. He was formerly the Robert A. Stranahan Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, Director of the Stem Cell Transplantation Program at Boston Children's Hospital, and an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Associate Director of Children's Stem Cell Program, a member of the Executive Committee of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute. He is a past president of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (2007–2008).
A biological specimen is a biological laboratory specimen held by a biorepository for research. Such a specimen would be taken by sampling so as to be representative of any other specimen taken from the source of the specimen. When biological specimens are stored, ideally they remain equivalent to freshly-collected specimens for the purposes of research.
Giuseppe Merla is an Italian scientist who is a Full Professor of Molecular Biology at University of Naples Federico II and medical geneticist at Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza in San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy. He is the Managing Director of Fondazione Telethon-Genomic and Genetics Disorders Biobank, a member of EuroBioBank at the Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza Hospital. Merla and his team led the discovery of a new rare genetic syndrome intellectual development disorder with cardiac arrhythmia and the gene responsible for it. Merla is also known for his extensive research on Kabuki Syndrome. He has been declared as the Ambassador of Kabuki syndrome and received the 2019 Ambassador Day award at the Royal Villa of Monza.
Kristin K. Baldwin is an American scientist who is a professor at the Department of Genetics and Development at Columbia University. Her research focuses on using reprogrammed and induced pluripotent stem cells to identify mechanisms and therapies related to human genetic risk for neurologic and cardiovascular disease. Her lab also studies how disease and aging affect the genome; they have used cloning to produce the first complete genome sequence of a single neuron and helped assess the effect of aging on induced pluripotent stem cells that may be used for cell therapies. They also design bespoke neuronal cells in a dish to understand brain function and disease. Baldwin's earlier work included being the first to clone a mouse from a neuron and being one of three groups to first produce an entire mouse from a skin cell by generating induced pluripotent stem cells. epigenetic changes of the genome and the brain.