At Mayo Clinic, the road to new treatments often begins in the laboratory. For over 100 years, Mayo scientists and physicians have worked together to advance care through medical science. That tradition of leadership by discovery is the Center for Biomedical Discovery. Established to sustain and grow Mayo’s expertise and build on its foundation of discovery science, this strategic research center coordinates team-based investigation of the biological processes governing disease.

The center is directed by Mark McNiven, Ph.D., a veteran cell biology researcher who spent a decade as the chair of Mayo’s Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Under his leadership, diverse teams of researchers are roadmapping disease to improve health. “Our center takes advantage of the exceptionally wide breadth of faculty expertise to combine cell biologists, biochemists, bioengineers and clinicians to define the mechanism of human diseases,” says Dr. McNiven. In the past year, teams at the center have published research on topics ranging from the progression of dysfunctional tau protein in Alzheimer’s disease to identification of a key gene that, if inhibited, could halt development of pancreatic cancer.

Teams are organized around three platforms of excellence, which guide the center’s research on disease processes spanning most organ systems:

• The Metabolism and Diabetes biomedical research platform, led by Lawrence Mandarino, Ph.D., studies diseases related to defects in metabolism, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
• The Immunity and Fibrosis platform, co-led by Virginia Shapiro, Ph.D., and Edward Leof, Ph.D., investigates the role of the immune system in disease, including the causes of organ fibrosis and cirrhosis.
• The Cancer and Cell Aging platform, under the co-leadership of Daniel Billadeau, Ph.D., and Jan van Deursen, Ph.D., explores the mechanisms that contribute to unchecked cell growth, as well as the impact of cell aging on diseases like arthritis and muscle wasting.

To maximize available resources and discovery knowledge, the platforms in the center bring together teams of investigators from across Mayo Clinic. Contact the Center for Biomedical Discovery for questions or feedback on the site or the center.

- Shea Jennings

Tags: basic science, Innovations, People, Progress Updates