$500K from the Arthur M. and Martha R. Pappas Foundation to Advance UMass Chan Diabetes Research Capabilities
The Diabetes Center of Excellence (DCOE) at UMass Chan Medical School is creating insulin-producing pancreatic islets from human stem cells that are being studied in a multitude of experiments to investigate the cause(s), possible prevention, and ultimately a potential cure for type 1 diabetes. The Pappas Stem Cell Differentiation Core, led by Sambra Redick, PhD, was launched in 2023 using techniques developed by our collaborators in the Melton lab at Harvard Medical School, thanks to a financial donation by the Arthur M. and Martha R. Pappas Foundation.
Dr. Arthur Pappas was an orthapedic surgeon and founding Chair of the Department of Orthopedics and Physical Rehabilitation at UMass Memorial Medical Center. He was considered by many to be a pioneer in the field of sports medicine, and was the Boston Red Sox Medical Director for more than 25 years. Hall of Famers Denis Eckersley & Carl Yastrzemski are among the players who credit Dr. Pappas with extending their careers. "If it wasn’t for Arthur Pappas, I would not have had 3,000 hits and 400 home runs,” said Yastrzemski.
In 2022, the Pappas Foundation funded the purchase of a state-of-the-art flow cytometer that provides rapid analysis of single cells. “Our research team uses complex flow cytometric approaches to characterize cells and their functional and signaling properties with the ultimate goal being a cure for diabetes,” said David Harlan, MD, the William and Doris Krupp Professor of Medicine and co-director of the UMass Chan DCOE. "Our scientists use the 5-laser flow cytometer technology to provide quantitative data on immune cell and pancreatic islet cell phenotypes. It has greatly expanded our capacity to rapidly screen experimental samples."
“These sophisticated machines utilize lasers to produce light signals that are read by detectors, generating electronic data that can be carefully analyzed,” said Dale Greiner, PhD, the Herman G. Berkman Chair in Diabetes Care Innovation, Professor of Molecular Medicine and co-director of the UMass Chan DCOE. “This flow cytometer allows us to analyze more than 20 unique parameters on a single cell simultaneously.”
Seven UMass Chan DCOE laboratories are also members of the JDRF Center of Excellence in New England led by Dr. Harlan. They are collaborating to genetically engineer our stem cell-derived islets to create a universal, injectible therapeutic product that will evade immune destruction, eliminating the need for toxic immunosuppression.
“The addition of the Pappas Stem Cell Differentiation Core and the flow cytometer greatly enhanced our type 1 diabetes studies,” added Dr. Harlan. "We are grateful for their continued support."
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