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stem cell transplant research
laboratory
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members
Hans Klingemann, MD, PhD
Director,
Bone Marrow and Hematopoietic Cell Transplant Program
Professor of Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine
Hans Klingemann
MD,
PhD, University
of Wuerzburg,
Germany
Residency, University of Marburg
Medical
School,
Marburg, Germany
Fellowship, Fred
Hutchinson
Cancer
Research
Center,
Seattle
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Monica
Betancur, MSc.
Research Associate I
Monica Betancur
BS,
Biology, Universidad de Antioquia,
Medellin,
Colombia
MS, Biology, Universidad de Antioquia,
Medellin,
Colombia
Since
I joined the lab I have been involved in isolating and culturing
umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSC) from the Wharton?s jelly. I
study the
use of these UC-MSC for expanding human cells for immunotherapy and also bone marrow stem
cells. In murine studies, I study if UC-MSC can accelerate engraftment of cord
blood transplants.
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Laurent Boissel, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Laurent Boissel
Maitrise, Biology
and Genetics, University Denis Diderot, Paris,
France
PhD, Cellular and Molecular Biology of Development, University Denis Diderot,Paris,
France
I am interested in making NK
cells targeted to certain cancers by introducing chimeric antigen receptors
(CAR) into
NK cells. One target antigen is CD19 that is highly expressed on lymphoid malignancies. We have shown that an anti-CD19CAR mRNA construct
can successfully be transfected into the NK cell line NK-92, but transfection
efficiency for blood NK cells is too low to be significant. I am currently
working on a lentivirus-based construct to improve transfection efficiency.
In a joint project with the vanEtten lab we using their murine model of CML to
determine the contribution of allogeneic NK cells to CML control.
I am also working on the genetic manipulation of UC-MSC to make them customized
feeder layers for human cell expansion. So far we have shown that UC-MSC are
excellent feeder layers for cord blood NK cell progenitors.
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James
Weitzman, MD
Hematology-Oncology Fellow
James Weitzman
BA,
Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT
MD, SUNY-Downstate, Brooklyn, NY
My research focuses on optimizing therapy for
patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) with special emphasis on NK
cell mediated ADCC. Currently, initial treatment for this disease includes a
combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy. With a
focus on making monoclonal antibody treatment more effective, I have developed a
model test system using high affinity Fc-receptor expressing NK cells and Fc-receptor negative NK cells to predict ADCC of different monoclonal antibodies in
individual patients.
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