Lankenau Institute for Medical Research

Lankenau Institute
for Medical Research
Established1927
President
and CEO		George C. Prendergast
AddressWynnewood, Pennsylvania
Websitewww.limr.org

Lankenau Institute for Medical Research (LIMR), founded in 1927, is a nonprofit, biomedical research institute located on the campus of Lankenau Medical Center in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, serving as the research division of the Main Line Health system in suburban Philadelphia.[1] LIMR focuses on studies of cancer, cardiovascular, autoimmune, gastrointestinal and other diseases.

History

LIMR was one of the first U.S. research institutes to focus on cancer when it was founded in 1927. It was formerly known as the Lankenau Hospital Research Institute (LHRI) until 1980 and the Lankenau Medical Research Center (LMRC) from 1981-1999.[2] Starting in 1941, LHRI also housed the Institute for Cancer Research (ICR), until the ICR was merged with the former American Oncology Hospital to create Fox Chase Cancer Center in 1974.[3][4]

LHRI researcher David Hungerford is credited with the discovery of the first genetic abnormality in cancer, called the Philadelphia chromosome.[5] It is detected in the vast majority of patients suffering from myelogenous leukemia. The first molecule-targeted drug to be created for cancer therapy, Gleevec (imatinib), acts by blocking this genetic abnormality.[citation needed]

LHRI researcher Baruch Blumberg is credited with the discovery of the hepatitis B virus and a blood test to detect it, as recognized by the 1976 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine.[6]

LIMR carried out research into the role of IDO (indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase) in cancer, including the first experimental therapeutics to directly inhibit this enzyme, which modifies inflammatory processes in cancer, autoimmune disease, retinopathy, cardiovascular disease, and other disorders.[7][8][9]

Background

George C. Prendergast is the President and CEO of LIMR since 2004.[10][11]

References

  1. ^ "The man behind Lankenau Hospital". inquirer.com. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
  2. ^ "The man behind Lankenau Hospital". inquirer.com. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
  3. ^ "Lankenau Institute For Medical Research - GovTribe". govtribe.com. Retrieved 21 September 2007.
  4. ^ "The man behind Lankenau Hospital". inquirer.com. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
  5. ^ Nowell, Peter C. (2007-08-01). "Discovery of the Philadelphia chromosome: a personal perspective". Journal of Clinical Investigation. 117 (8): 2033–2035. doi:10.1172/JCI31771. PMC 1934591. PMID 17671636.
  6. ^ "Physiology or Medicine 1976 - NobelPrize.org". nobelprize.org. Retrieved 22 December 2009.
  7. ^ Prendergast, G. C.; Malachowski, W. J.; Mondal, A.; Scherle, P.; Muller, A. J. (2018). "Indoleamine 2,3-Dioxygenase and Its Therapeutic Inhibition in Cancer". International Review of Cell and Molecular Biology. 336: 175–203. doi:10.1016/bs.ircmb.2017.07.004. ISBN 9780128146514. PMC 6054468. PMID 29413890.
  8. ^ Katz, J. B.; Muller, A. J.; Prendergast, G. C. (2008). "Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase in T-cell tolerance and tumoral immune escape". Immunological Reviews. 222: 206–221. doi:10.1111/j.1600-065X.2008.00610.x. PMID 18364004. S2CID 8133439. Retrieved 22 April 2008.
  9. ^ "10 ways Philadelphia is leading the war on cancer". bizjournals.com. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  10. ^ "George C. Prendergast, PhD". mainlinehealth.org. Retrieved 18 June 2004.
  11. ^ "Jefferson and Lankenau Institute of Medical Research Collaborate on Cancer Research". Jefferson Surgical Solutions. 7 (2). 26 October 2012. Retrieved 26 October 2012.

39°59′20″N 75°15′22″W / 39.98882°N 75.25613°W / 39.98882; -75.25613