Thanks to scientific research in gene editing and a partnership with Jerusalem-based NovellusDx to advance personalized cancer treatment, the Gene Editing Institute of the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute at Christiana Care received the inaugural Life Sciences and Bio-Innovation Award from the Philadelphia-Israeli Chamber of Commerce.
The new award was created to recognize a company, researcher or individual in the tri-state area that has the potential to make a significant impact on health care, according to the Philadelphia-Israeli Chamber of Commerce.
“We are building the tools of tomorrow as we provide leading-edge care for our patients today,” said Janice E. Nevin, M.D., Christiana Care CEO. “The Gene Editing Institute is undertaking transformative research in the human genome with direct applications to cancer care. By forming partnerships with leading biomedical firms around the world, the Gene Editing Institute is laying the groundwork for a vibrant, job-producing innovation corridor in Delaware and the region.”
“The Gene Editing Institute is highly deserving of this award for its work with NovellusDx on gene editing technologies as part of its on-going cancer research collaboration,” said Vered Nohi, executive director of the Philadelphia-Israel Chamber of Commerce.“In addition, the Gene Editing Institute’s partnership with NovellusDx has elevated the general interest in U.S.-Israel Binational Industrial R&D Foundation (BIRD Foundation) in the region.”
“As the only gene editing research institute embedded in a community cancer program, we understand the need for personalized cancer treatment, because we see cancer patients and partner with the doctors who care for them every day,” said Eric Kmiec, Ph.D., director of the Gene Editing Institute of the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute at Christiana Care. “Thanks to a generous grant from the BIRD Foundation, our partnership with NovellusDx is already bearing fruit as our new gene editing technology is enhancing the capacity of NovellusDx to lead the way in personalized cancer therapies.”
In late 2016, the Gene Editing Institute and NovellusDx received a $900,000 grant from the BIRD Foundation to develop a new series of state-of-the-art gene editing technologies that help identify the genetic mechanism responsible for both the onset and progression of many types of cancer.
The BIRD Foundation promotes collaboration between U.S. and Israeli companies in a wide range of technology fields for the purpose of joint product development. Projects submitted to the BIRD Foundation undergo evaluation by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology of the U.S. Department of Commerce and by the Israel Innovation Authority.
The Gene Editing Institute and NovellusDx have recently made landmark discoveries in the use of the CRISPR gene editing tool that can impact the delivery of cancer treatments.
