2022 Annual Report

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Department of Cell Biology Our health, and consequently our lives, depends on the coordinated activities of our individual cells; diseases arise when the activities of these cells become derailed. Through combined expertise in different cell types and communication mechanisms and using state-of-the-art approaches, scientists in VAI’s Department of Cell Biology pursue fundamental research to understand how our cells grow, communicate, survive, assemble into tissues and organs, respond to the environment and change with age. This transformative work will yield new diagnostic and treatment strategies to improve the quality of life for people with cancer, bone diseases and rare disorders. Studying how cells assemble and repair organs: Our scientists are looking closely at how cells replicate and gradually become specialized, particularly in the skeleton and the blood. The department’s labs focus on understanding a host of cellular processes, including how cells sense the changes in the body, how cells adjust to meet these needs, how cells talk to and work with each other, how the aging process damages cell integrity and contributes to disease, and how to restore the proper cellular function in aging organs. Understanding how derailed cells trigger cancers: Cancer can occur when cells are derailed during growth or specialization. Our scientists are investigating the genetic and molecular cues for abnormal cell activity in the development of cancers, including leukemia, breast cancer, sarcomas and pancreatic cancer. They aim to translate this knowledge into novel approaches for diagnosis and treatment. Exploring how cellular processes change over time: As our cells age, changes arise that lead to dysfunction and disease. Our scientists are exploring how cellular processes that function seamlessly in healthy people can fail as they age. This research may one day inform treatments to delay or prevent osteoarthritis, bone fragility and cancer. <strong>2022</strong> HIGHLIGHTS VAI grad student awarded fellowship to pursue new osteoarthritis therapies The PhRMA Foundation selected Van Andel Institute Graduate School student Vladimir Molchanov to receive a prestigious predoctoral fellowship to pursue improved treatments for osteoarthritis, the most common type of arthritis. This painful, progressive disorder occurs when the cartilage within joints wears down, resulting in swelling, stiffness, pain and loss of mobility. Although treatments exist, they offer only temporary relief from symptoms rather than fixing the disorder’s root cause. The $50,000 fellowship will support Molchanov as he seeks to solve a pair of major problems in osteoarthritis treatment: how to deliver therapies to the site of joint damage and how to stimulate new cartilage growth. To do this, he has proposed an approach called SEEK and HEAL that would use specially designed stem cells generated from adult cells to “seek” out damaged cartilage and help “heal” it by regrowing lost tissue. 1 VAI scientist earns grant to investigate cellular communication in development and disease Dr. Stephanie Grainger is working to decipher how cells “talk” to each other in hopes of better understanding how this process protects health and, when things go wrong, promotes disease. In 2021, she was awarded a $2.4 million, five-year Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health for her project, and, in <strong>2022</strong>, she received additional supplemental funding to fuel this critical research. Grainger’s research may shed new light on healthy development and the role of cellular communication in cancer, osteoporosis, heart conditions and other diseases. 2 Funding Acknowledgements Research reported in this publication was supported by: 1 The PhRMA Foundation. 2 The National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under award no. R35GM142779 and award no. R35GM142779-02S1 (Grainger). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health or other granting organizations. 10
A half decade of discovery: VAI’s cryo-EM turns five To understand life’s building blocks — the molecules that give structure to our cells, fuel our bodies and play integral roles in health and disease — we need powerful technology that allows us to see them in deep detail. That’s where cryo-EM comes in. Short for cryo-electron microscopy, cryo-EM is a special type of technique and equipment that helps scientists zoom in on molecules in their natural state. The insights gleaned from these images tell us how molecules work, how they interact with other molecules and how they might be leveraged to design treatments for diseases like cancer, Parkinson’s and many others. Five years ago, VAI established the David Van Andel Advanced Cryo-Electron Microscopy Suite. It includes three state-of-the-art microscopes, two of which are cryo-EM. Since then, our scientists have made many important discoveries that are reshaping our understanding of health and disease. To date, discoveries include: • The first images of TRPM5, a taste-sensing molecule that may one day lead to improved ways to treat diabetes and other metabolic and immune disorders. To date, the structures of three of the eight proteins in this crucial molecular family have been resolved at VAI. • The most detailed “blueprints” to date of the mechanisms used by tuberculosis bacteria to survive attacks by the immune system. Around the Institute • The first atomic-level images of a “molecular machine” that installs proteins on cell membranes, a crucial process that has implications for a host of diseases, including Alzheimer’s and cystic fibrosis. • The first images of a special type of molecular “gate” that lets chemical messages in and out of cells while helping them maintain pH balance — a critical function that keeps cells alive and helps prevent stroke and other brain injuries. RESEARCH • New insights into how our genetic code is repaired, a crucial process that keeps us healthy and staves off disease. • The first high-resolution images of a pair of molecules, DNMT3A and DNMT3B, that play important roles in cancer and may serve as powerful targets for anti-cancer medications. “Cryo-EM is one of the most important tools in modern science. It is fueling discovery here at VAI and around the world by sparking new advances and laying the foundations for new frontiers in health.” — Dr. Peter A. Jones, Chief Scientific Officer Van Andel Institute 11 11
Page 1 and 2: 2022 Annual Report
Page 3 and 4: Table of Contents 2 A letter from D
Page 5 and 6: “From all of us at Van Andel Inst
Page 8 and 9: Department of Neurodegenerative Sci
Page 10 and 11: Department of Epigenetics Scientist
Page 14 and 15: Department of Structural Biology Sc
Page 16 and 17: Department of Metabolism & Nutritio
Page 18 and 19: Translating impact from lab to clin
Page 20 and 21: Core Technologies & Services Van An
Page 22 and 23: Van Andel Institute Principal Inves
Page 30 and 31: A modern approach to graduate educa
Page 32 and 33: A modern approach to graduate educa
Page 34: Van Andel Institute for Education W
Page 37 and 38: K-12 EDUCATION 35
Page 39 and 40: K-12 EDUCATION 37
Page 42 and 43: Carol Van Andel Angel of Excellence
Page 44 and 45: Design & Discovery Merging the insp
Page 46 and 47: Around the World Hosted by VAI’s
Page 48 and 49: Couture for a Cure Michigan’s pre
Page 50 and 51: Hope on the Hill & The Chocolate Fa
Page 52 and 53: Signature special event sponsors We
Page 54 and 55: A decade of support: Inside Jeffery
Page 56 and 57: Positivity & perseverance: Richard
Page 58 and 59: From Purple Community to JBoard Amb
Page 60 and 61: Running for family & research Nearl
Page 62 and 63:
Philanthropy Circle of Hope Anonymo
Page 64 and 65:
Van Andel Institute Board Members V
Page 66 and 67:
Van Andel Institute Board of Govern
Page 68:
333 Bostwick Ave. NE, Grand Rapids,
show all

2022 Annual Report

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?