Center for Stem Cell and Organoid Medicine gives hope to patients
Jake Glenn, RN, Heart Institute, has been in search of a living kidney donor for over 650 days. He needs a kidney transplant. His family was tested, and no one was a match. Today, he’s hopeful to find a donor and optimistic about what the future could hold for patients, because of a new program here.
Cincinnati Children’s new Center for Stem Cell and Organoid Medicine (CuSTOM) holds the promise of growing tissue from a patient’s cells to treat disease. Inspired by patients like Jake, the center of excellence integrates basic researchers and clinicians from different divisions set on accelerating discovery and facilitating the translation of this transformative technology to the clinic.
"Organoids made from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSC) can be used to study human disease in a dish, correct genetic mutations and develop new therapies," said Aaron Zorn, PhD, director of the center. "It also provides a unique platform for personalized medicine by screening for effective drugs using a patient’s own cells. Ultimately, organoid tissue grown in the lab from a patient’s own cells could be used for transplantation."
At first, the CuSTOM team will focus on intestinal and liver organoids with efforts to enable the application of stem cell and organoid-based medicine to improve child health. In the future, the team will look to develop organoids in other areas such as kidney and lungs.
Zorn will lead the center, along with James Wells, PhD, Developmental Biology/Endocrinology; Takanori Takebe, MD, Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition; and Michael Helmrath, MD, Surgery. The team hopes its advancements in regenerative medicine will increase their ability to recruit top investigators and uncover new possibilities to treat organ failure. One day, patients like Jake may not have to wait for a donor match.
You can read more about Jake’s story on Facebook. If you would like to learn more about organ donation, visit www.donatelife.net.
