Shriners Hospitals for Children — Boston Receives $3 Million Gift to Revolutionize Regenerative Medicine and Benefit Children Worldwide
Boston, Mass. (PRWEB) February 24, 2016 -- Shriners Hospitals for Children® — Boston today announced the receipt of a $3 million gift to name The Howard Green Center for Children’s Skin Health and Research in honor of the late Howard Green, M.D. The mission of this first-of-its-kind center will be to carry on Dr. Green’s legacy by advancing the field of regenerative medicine through research and providing specialized pediatric skin care to children with even the most devastating and complicated injuries and conditions. All care will be provided regardless of families’ ability to pay.
“For more than 50 years, Shriners Hospitals for Children — Boston has been at the forefront of burn care and the treatment of pediatric skin conditions,” said Matthias Donelan, M.D., chief of staff at Shriners Hospitals for Children — Boston. “Along with providing a natural pathway into pediatric dermatology, this gift will drive more translational research that will expand the scope of our care and ultimately benefit more children around the world, many of whom could otherwise not afford treatment.”
Dr. Green was the first to grow skin grafts using a patient’s own cells, one of the earliest examples of stem cell therapy. The first grafts from cultured skin were used to treat two patients with life-threatening burns at the Boston Shriners Hospital in the early 1980s. The patients survived and Dr. Green’s discovery forever improved the life expectancy of patients with acute burns. He dedicated his career to furthering scientists’ understanding of skin regeneration and improving the outcomes for patients with devastating skin injuries and conditions.
"It is because of the foresight of the doctors at Shriners Hospitals for Children — Boston that the first application in tissue engineering was conducted, saving two boys who had no other chance of survival,” said Rosine Kauffmann Green, Dr. Green’s widow. “My husband would have been pleased that his work will be the basis for further study and care of children's skin. He would be very proud of this moment."
The Center will expand upon the hospital’s current research in the area of pediatric skin health, working hand-in-hand with the clinical practice to move regenerative medicine along the discovery continuum to bring new treatments to children more quickly.
“The research Dr. Green pioneered throughout his career not only established the scientific basis for an entirely new field called regenerative medicine but also changed the course of burn care and saved many lives at our hospital and around the world,” said Mehmet Toner, Ph.D., director of research at Shriners Hospitals for Children — Boston. “This gift elevates our position as a leading research facility and will enable us to continue our commitment to research projects that will further improve the outcomes and lives of patients with burns and skin disorders.”
The Howard Green Center for Children’s Skin Health and Research will be housed at the Boston Shriners Hospital’s Blossom Street campus. The hospital expects to begin accepting new dermatology patients later in 2016.
About Shriners Hospitals for Children — Boston
Shriners Hospitals for Children® is changing lives every day through innovative pediatric specialty care, world-class research and outstanding medical education. The 22 hospitals in the United States, Canada and Mexico provide advanced care for children with orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate. To learn more about Shriners Hospitals for Children – Boston or to make a donation, call 617-371-3708 or visit http://www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org/boston.
About The Howard Green Center for Children’s Skin Health and Research at Shriners Hospitals for Children — Boston
The Howard Green Center for Children’s Skin Health and Research at Shriners Hospitals for Children — Boston® were founded through the generosity of Rosine Kauffmann Green as a tribute to her late husband, renowned cell-biologist Dr. Howard Green. The Center is dedicated to providing specialized medical care and research for common and rare pediatric skin disorders, whether acquired or genetic, in a comprehensive, compassionate and family-centered facility, regardless of a family’s ability to pay.
Elizabeth Fisher, Shriners Hospitals for Children - Boston, http://www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org/locations/boston, +1 617-371-4784, [email protected]
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