4 2016
ANNUAL REPORT
LEADERSHIP MESSAGE 2016 was a banner year for the Pacific Heart, Lung & Blood Institute (PHLBI) and I’m excited to highlight our progress and milestones in this letter to you. Today, mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) treatment is one of the most impressive immunotherapies for the potential eradication of cancer. Our research aims to benefit the mesothelioma patient community through the development and advancement of innovative immunotherapy to clinical trials, with a long-term goal of scaling a wide array of treatments to fight a range of different cancers. On this front, PHLBI, has been developing a next generation therapy platform using gene-modified mesenchymal stem cells derived from placentas. These cells are modified to express large amounts of interleukin 12, which stimulates the immune system to reject cancer cells. We are thrilled to report that we now have enough preliminary
evidence to file a patent in the summer of 2017. In 2016, we received approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) to create a first-in-the-nation International Tissue Bank. PHLBI developed the protocols for processing, storing and tracking specimens for the tissue bank, with the goal of benefitting our research. As this is also the first tissue bank that is unlimited, we will be able to share tissue from all types of patients with other institutions, and already have an agreement in place to do so with UCLA. If you’re interested in contributing to this invaluable medical resource by donating a sample, please call our office. In addition to becoming an “associate researcher” at PHLBI, you’ll join a growing community of contributors to this important research! As a small nonprofit with limited resources, the PHLBI relies on philanthropic support
