Mass. Life Sciences Grants LSC Grants Awarded to BLCS and CReM

Boston University’s (BU) Biomedical Laboratory and Clinical Sciences (BLCS) Program and the Center for Regenerative Medicine (CReM) were awarded grants from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center as part of a $17M package targeted for capital projects, equipment and supplies.

“We are delighted that both the Center for Regenerative Medicine (CReM) at Boston Medical Center (BMC) and Boston University School of Medicine as well as the Biomedical Laboratory and Clinical Sciences (BLCS) Program have received this honor from the Massachusetts Life Science Center,” said Karen Antman, MD, dean of Boston University School of Medicine and provost of Boston University Medical Campus.  “Their investments in these programs will help patients with pulmonary hypertension, cystic fibrosis, and acute lung injury as well as provide students with the necessary equipment as they train for careers in the biotechnology field,” she added.

CReM was awarded $1.7 M to launch an expansive Lung Regeneration Initiative (LRI) as part of their Center for Regenerative Medicine. The goal of the LRI is the clinical application of recent BU-led discoveries in stem cell research, such as the treatment of lung diseases with personalized therapeutics, as well as the ultimate reconstitution of diseased lung epithelia in patients with emphysema. The LRI also aims to define and launch treatments for pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, cystic fibrosis and acute lung injury from inhaled pathogens.

The BLCS Program, which is offered by BU’s Metropolitan College in collaboration with the School of Medicine, received $180,000 in funding to enhance the quality of the training and add to the competencies of the students. The funding from MLSC will enable the BLCS program to obtain essential equipment: a small bioreactor, an HPLC protein chromatography unit and a small bench top fluorescence activated cell analyzer, as well as to implement an electronic laboratory information and management system to train students for the changing environment for record keeping in the biotech industry.