Spring Break
UHC To Build, Do Stem Cell Research
Lillianna Baczeski
Issue date: 10/9/06 Section: News
Six years after the UConn 2000 endowment, funds set aside for building projects to benefit the University of Connecticut, proposals for new facilities are still being carried out. The UConn Health Center (UHC) located in Farmington is currently seeking funds to purchase a building located on Farmington Avenue.
One of the main purposes of the new building, if acquired, will be to house the current human stem cell research program headed by Dr. Ren-He Xu.
"Many, many stem cell projects are currently being conducted at UConn," said David Goldhamer, associate professor of molecular and cell biology, in an e-mail concerning resent research. "Specifically in human embryonic stem cell (HESC) projects, research currently being conducted is much more limited."
According to Theodore Rasmussen, an assistant professor of animal science, there are two classifications of stem cell research being conducted at UConn. The first kind of research deals with animal derived embryonic stem cells. This research is conducted at facilities on the Storrs campus.
The second kind of research deals with human derived stem cells. This type of research is currently only conducted in Farmington at the UHC.
"My lab is interested in differentiation, which is how stem cells can be made into useful cell types," Rasmussen said.
A new facility is desired by researchers in Farmington because they want to work with non-federally approved lines of stem cells. Using these lines of cells are not illegal; however, a facility that does this type of research cannot be funded federally in any way.
"I am personally interested in research involving these human lines that can be used to fight certain diseases," Rasmussen said.
According to Dr. Marc Lalande, head of the department of genetics and developmental biology in Farmington, President Bush passed legislation on Aug. 9, 2001 stating that any human stem cell line derived after that date could not be researched with the assistance of federal funding. At the time of the legislation, 22 lines of human stem cells were being researched, of which only a few are useful to researchers today, Lalande said. Since that time, 50 more human stem cell lines have been isolated, which "are much better for our work," according to Lalande.
One of the main purposes of the new building, if acquired, will be to house the current human stem cell research program headed by Dr. Ren-He Xu.
"Many, many stem cell projects are currently being conducted at UConn," said David Goldhamer, associate professor of molecular and cell biology, in an e-mail concerning resent research. "Specifically in human embryonic stem cell (HESC) projects, research currently being conducted is much more limited."
According to Theodore Rasmussen, an assistant professor of animal science, there are two classifications of stem cell research being conducted at UConn. The first kind of research deals with animal derived embryonic stem cells. This research is conducted at facilities on the Storrs campus.
The second kind of research deals with human derived stem cells. This type of research is currently only conducted in Farmington at the UHC.
"My lab is interested in differentiation, which is how stem cells can be made into useful cell types," Rasmussen said.
A new facility is desired by researchers in Farmington because they want to work with non-federally approved lines of stem cells. Using these lines of cells are not illegal; however, a facility that does this type of research cannot be funded federally in any way.
"I am personally interested in research involving these human lines that can be used to fight certain diseases," Rasmussen said.
According to Dr. Marc Lalande, head of the department of genetics and developmental biology in Farmington, President Bush passed legislation on Aug. 9, 2001 stating that any human stem cell line derived after that date could not be researched with the assistance of federal funding. At the time of the legislation, 22 lines of human stem cells were being researched, of which only a few are useful to researchers today, Lalande said. Since that time, 50 more human stem cell lines have been isolated, which "are much better for our work," according to Lalande.
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