Based in Rochester, New York, the University of Rochester Medical Center remains one of the country’s leading health care and disease research institutions. Among its achievements, the University of Rochester Medical Center created a vaccine that eradicates a leading cause of meningitis in preschoolers and prevents infection by pneumococcal bacteria, which cause illnesses such as ear infections and pneumonia. The University of Rochester Medical Center is also renowned for its study of cancer at the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center. Most recently, the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center garnered two large federal grants totaling almost two million dollars in funding for stem cell research. This summer, clinicians at the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center will be able to continue their exploration into the particular stem cells that cause cancer. The researchers are examining the idea that mutations at the stem cell level cause tumor formation and lead to cancer. By studying patients undergoing therapy for acute myelocytic leukemia, James P. Wilmot Cancer Center researchers will identify whether leukemia stem cell (LSC) properties remain stable or change. Data acquired from the study will help to determine the best course of action in eliminating the residual cancer that remains in the body after aggressive therapy.
