RESEARCH

Personalized medicines and lower-cost drug development are two of the practical benefits of mapping the 3 billion chemical base pairs in the human genome. The human genome project is just one of the groundbreaking research initiatives that involved researchers from the New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics & Life Sciences (CoE). By merging high-performance computing and high-end visualization with genomics, proteomics and bioimaging, the CoE has created a unique and powerful combination of technologies and research expertise that fosters advancements in science and health care. This approach complements the critical mass of world-class researchers, in both basic and applied sciences, who already provide industry partners with a wide scope of potential new leads, technologies, and discoveries through the CoE's primary research institutions: the University at Buffalo, Roswell Park Cancer Institute and the Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute:

The CoE faculty include over 100 biological, physical and computational scientistsfrom interdisciplinary laboratories involved with the COE's translational research efforts representing broad capabilities and core research groups.

Research Capabilities

• Bioengineering
• Bioimaging
• Bioinformatics
• Cardiology
• Disease Modeling
• Epidemiology
• Genetics
• Genomics
• High Performance Computing
• Immunotherapy
• Neurology
• Oncology
• Oral Biology
• Structural Biology
• Pharmacokinetics & Pharmacodynamics
• Pharmacology
• Proteomics

Core Research Groups

• Cancer Biology
• Cardiovascular Disease
• Neurodegenerative Disease
• Pathogens & Biodefense
• Translational Pharmacology

Research Highlight

Insulin Suppresses Receptors that Cause Cascade of Inflammation, Study Shows

7/11/08 - BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Researchers at the University at Buffalo -- the first to identify the anti-inflammatory and cardioprotective properties of insulin -- now have discovered one pathway through which the hormone produces this effect.  Insulin appears to suppress a particular group of inflammatory mediators known as toll-like receptors, or TLRs, which are critical to the inflammatory process.  TLRs are a variety of pattern-recognition receptors that identify bacterial and viral products and other pathogens.  UB researchers have found that insulin interferes with the expression of several types of TLRs, likely by suppressing a specific transcription factor known as PU.1, which is known to regulate TLR expression. 

"We reported earlier that an infusion of low-dose insulin exerts a quick, powerful anti-inflammatory effect in diabetic patients," said Paresh Dandona, M.D., Ph.D., UB Distinguished Professor of Medicine, chief of the Division of Endocrinology in UB's Department of Medicine, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and senior researcher on the project.  Dandona also is chief of Kaleida Health's Division of Endocrinology and director of Kaleida's Diabetes-Endocrine Center of Western New York, where he conducted his research.  "Knowing that toll-like receptors are major determinants of the body's inflammatory response to viral and bacterial pathogens, we set out to see if these receptors were susceptible to insulin's effect," said Dandona ...[Read On...]

Featured Researcher

Paresh Dandona, MD.,Ph.D.
UB Distinguished Professor; Clinical Professor
Medicine; Pharmacology And Toxicology

Paresh Dandona, M.D., Ph.D.,  is a University at Buffalo Distinguished Professor in the departments of Medicine and Pharmacology and Toxicology in the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Dr. Dandona's research focus is endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism with interests in specific areas such as vascular cell reactivity encompassing platelet function, endothelial function, monocyte/macrophage function and the interactions between them.

[ Dr. Paresh Dandona's Website]

News

Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus to Revamp Trico Site
07/19/2008 - BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Armed with a $4.5 million cash transfusion, the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus is pushing ahead with a key physical expansion.  Patrick Whelan, BNMC chief operating officer, said funding approved last week by the Empire State Development Corp. will aid a $12 million effort to turn a portion of the former Trico windshield wiper plant into a high-tech innovation center...[Read On...]

Quantum Rod System May Safely 'Sneak' Drugs, Diagnostics into Brain
07/16/2008 - BUFFALO, N.Y. -- A unique nanoparticle system developed by University at Buffalo scientists takes advantage of the versatility of bioconjugated quantum rods to ferry novel diagnostic and therapeutic agents across the blood-brain barrier, according to recent in vitro findings. Described in a paper published in Bioconjugate Chemistry, the system uses the rod-shaped semiconductor nanoparticles that are bioconjugated, or coupled, with biomolecules capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier...[Read On...]

Visit the News Archive

Events

September 23, 2008 - MedTech08 Biosciences Summit
Growing, Changing, Booming: Adapting healthcare to the needs of an aging population.  Join us at The Lodge in Skaneateles NY for this exciting daylong event packed with industry leaders sharing their strategies for successfully adapting to the aging boomer demographic.  To learn more and register, Click here

October 27-28, 2008 - AACR Centennial Symposium
Roswell Park Cancer Institute is hosting the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Centennial Symposium, entitled “The Future of Cancer Research: Science and Patient Impact”, this fall.  To learn more and register, Click here.

To view the complete list of events and event details, please visit our Events page

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