February Medical News from Missouri Cures

February 2020 | E-Newsletter

Missouri Cures Education Foundation is a statewide non-profit alliance working to promote & protect medical advances to improve the health of Missourians and stimulate the economy in our state. Donations are tax-deductible & support education and outreach programs.

Director's Notes:

I had the opportunity to attend the World Stem Cell Summit in January and hear about cutting edge research. It was an honor to meet and listen to individuals who realize the promise of regenerative medicine for patients around the world. Some of these individuals included Dr. Peter Marks, Director, Centre for Biologics Evaluation & Research. Dr. Marks discussed the FDA’s framework for regenerative medicine, key findings and next steps to move therapies forward. Dr. Bruce Levine, Professor of Cancer Gene Therapy at the University of Pennsylvania discussed the future of advanced gene therapies. Dr. Maria Millan, President of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine discussed therapies and stated the biggest challenge is patient access to these therapies and how that is being addressed.

It is an exciting time for regenerative medicine and the advanced therapies that hold promise for potential cures for some of the most devastating diseases.

Kindest regards,

Dena Ladd

Executive Director

Missouri Cures Education Foundation

DLadd@MissouriCures.org

Maria T. Millan, President & CEO - California Institute for Regenerative Medicine

Peter Marks, Director, Centre for Biologics Evaluation & Research - US FDA

News Around Missouri:

University of Missouri:

Gene hunting: the power of precision medicine

Saint Louis University:

Saint Louis University, Washington University collaborate to share access to imaging center and invest in powerful new microscope

Washington University:

'Jumping genes' help stabilize DNA folding patterns

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Gene ID'd as potential therapeutic target for dementia in Parkinson's

Spotlight:

WISER Women:

We are thrilled to be featuring Dr. Paula Monaghan-Nichols as this month’s WISER Woman. Dr. Monaghan-Nichols is the Associate Dean of Research Administration at UMKC. Her research focus is on the prenatal basis of neurological and behavioral abnormalities. Since 1999, she has maintained continuous funding from the National Institutes of Health for her research, which currently involves studying environmental and genetic factors’ influence on cell behavior. She also promotes others’ research in her role as associate dean. Learn more about her here.

Meet a Researcher

Dr. Enrico Di Cera was recently named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for his distinguished contributions to science. Dr Di Cera, who is the Alice A. Doisy professor and chairman of the department of biochemistry and molecular biology at SLU, is being recognized for his key contributions to the theory of ligand binding and to the structural enzymology of proteins controlling blood coagulation. He is also the Interim Vice Dean for Research at Saint Louis University. Learn more about his work here.