Wistar Institute
Encyclopedia
The Wistar Institute is a biomedical
center, with a focus on cancer research
and vaccine
development. It is located in the University City
section of Philadelphia, Pa. Founded in 1892 as the first independent, nonprofit, biomedical research institute in the country, Wistar has held the Cancer Center
designation from the National Cancer Institute
since 1972.
Wistar has more than thirty laboratories, which are home to three research programs: a gene expression
and regulation
program, a molecular and cellular oncogenesis program, and an immunology
program.
The Wistar Institute was founded in 1892 as the nation’s first independent medical research facility. It is named for Caspar Wistar
, M.D., a prominent Philadelphia physician who began his medical practice in 1787. Dr. Wistar was the author of the first American anatomy
textbook. To augment his medical lectures and illustrate comparative anatomy
, Dr. Wistar began a collection of dried, wax-injected, and preserved human specimens. Two years before his death, he appointed William Edmonds Horner, M.D., as caretaker of the collection.
After Dr. Wistar’s death, Horner maintained and expanded the collection of anatomical specimens. The combined collections became known as the Wistar and Horner Museum. The Wistar and Horner Museum collections were further expanded under the curation of Joseph Leidy
, M.D., who acquired animal specimen
s as well as fossil
and anthropological
samples. By the late 1880s, the collection was beginning to show signs of wear and neglect, a situation compounded by a fire in Logan Hall at the University of Pennsylvania
, where the museum was housed.
When a fundraising campaign to refurbish and re-house the collection began, Dr. Wistar’s great nephew Colonel Isaac Jones Wistar became involved. Determined to preserve his great-uncle’s teaching collection and support new and original research of anatomy and biology, Isaac Jones Wistar funded an endowment and research building for The Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology. Designed by Philadelphia architects George W. and William G. Hewitt
, the original building is still part of the Wistar Institute’s research facility, and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places
as part of the historic University City area in Philadelphia. Today, part of the human and animal skeletal collection is housed at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
.
In 1906, under the leadership of Milton Greenman, M.D., and Henry Donaldson, Ph.D., the Institute developed and bred the Wistar rat, the first standardized laboratory animal
. It is estimated that more than half of all laboratory rats today are descendants of the original Wistar rat line.
Biomedicine
Biomedicine is a branch of medical science that applies biological and other natural-science principles to clinical practice,. Biomedicine, i.e. medical research, involves the study of physiological processes with methods from biology, chemistry and physics. Approaches range from understanding...
center, with a focus on cancer research
Cancer research
Cancer research is basic research into cancer in order to identify causes and develop strategies for prevention, diagnosis, treatments and cure....
and vaccine
Vaccine
A vaccine is a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism, and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe or its toxins...
development. It is located in the University City
University City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
University City is the easternmost region of West Philadelphia.The University of Pennsylvania has long been the dominant institution in the area and was instrumental in coining the name University City as part of a 1950s urban-renewal effort...
section of Philadelphia, Pa. Founded in 1892 as the first independent, nonprofit, biomedical research institute in the country, Wistar has held the Cancer Center
NCI-designated Cancer Center
NCI-designated Cancer Centers are a group of approximately 66 cancer research institutions in the United States supported by the National Cancer Institute....
designation from the National Cancer Institute
National Cancer Institute
The National Cancer Institute is part of the National Institutes of Health , which is one of 11 agencies that are part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The NCI coordinates the U.S...
since 1972.
Wistar has more than thirty laboratories, which are home to three research programs: a gene expression
Gene expression
Gene expression is the process by which information from a gene is used in the synthesis of a functional gene product. These products are often proteins, but in non-protein coding genes such as ribosomal RNA , transfer RNA or small nuclear RNA genes, the product is a functional RNA...
and regulation
Regulation of gene expression
Gene modulation redirects here. For information on therapeutic regulation of gene expression, see therapeutic gene modulation.Regulation of gene expression includes the processes that cells and viruses use to regulate the way that the information in genes is turned into gene products...
program, a molecular and cellular oncogenesis program, and an immunology
Immunology
Immunology is a broad branch of biomedical science that covers the study of all aspects of the immune system in all organisms. It deals with the physiological functioning of the immune system in states of both health and diseases; malfunctions of the immune system in immunological disorders ; the...
program.
Cancer
The Institute's research program on cancer includes the following goals and areas:- Cancer geneticsGeneticsGenetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
: how mutationMutationIn molecular biology and genetics, mutations are changes in a genomic sequence: the DNA sequence of a cell's genome or the DNA or RNA sequence of a virus. They can be defined as sudden and spontaneous changes in the cell. Mutations are caused by radiation, viruses, transposons and mutagenic...
s in geneGeneA gene is a molecular unit of heredity of a living organism. It is a name given to some stretches of DNA and RNA that code for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. Living beings depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains...
s lead to various cancers.
- Stem cellStem cellThis article is about the cell type. For the medical therapy, see Stem Cell TreatmentsStem cells are biological cells found in all multicellular organisms, that can divide and differentiate into diverse specialized cell types and can self-renew to produce more stem cells...
s: identifying and characterizing cancer stem cells that appear to be responsible for recurrent and treatment-resistant forms of cancer.
- A blood testBlood testA blood test is a laboratory analysis performed on a blood sample that is usually extracted from a vein in the arm using a needle, or via fingerprick....
for the early detection of lung cancerLung cancerLung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
: By the time lung cancer, the top cancer killer, is diagnosed, the disease has usually advanced so far that treatment options are limited. Wistar's scientists are developing a blood testBlood testA blood test is a laboratory analysis performed on a blood sample that is usually extracted from a vein in the arm using a needle, or via fingerprick....
that would detect the disease early.
- TelomeraseTelomeraseTelomerase is an enzyme that adds DNA sequence repeats to the 3' end of DNA strands in the telomere regions, which are found at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes. This region of repeated nucleotide called telomeres contains non-coding DNA material and prevents constant loss of important DNA from...
-based cancer treatment: The decoding by a Wistar researcher of a key structure of the enzyme telomerase, which plays a significant role in cancer, may lead to the development of a new class of highly targeted cancer drugsChemotherapyChemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
.
- MelanomaMelanomaMelanoma is a malignant tumor of melanocytes. Melanocytes are cells that produce the dark pigment, melanin, which is responsible for the color of skin. They predominantly occur in skin, but are also found in other parts of the body, including the bowel and the eye...
: Wistar's melanoma research program studies the development of the disease and pursuing treatments for advanced melanoma.
Immunology
- Past achievements: Wistar discoveries led to the creation of the rubella vaccineRubella vaccineRubella vaccine is a vaccine used against rubella.One form is called "Meruvax"....
that is credited with eradicating “German measles” in the United States; human rabies vaccineRabies vaccineRabies vaccine is a vaccine used to control rabies. Rabies can be prevented by vaccination, both in humans and other animals.-In animals:Currently, pre-exposure immunization has been used on domesticated and normal non-human populations...
s used worldwide; and a rotavirus vaccine approved in 2006 that prevents an illness responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of children worldwide each year.
- Vaccine development: Wistar researchers are collaborating with leading scientists worldwide to develop vaccines for hepatitis CHepatitis CHepatitis C is an infectious disease primarily affecting the liver, caused by the hepatitis C virus . The infection is often asymptomatic, but chronic infection can lead to scarring of the liver and ultimately to cirrhosis, which is generally apparent after many years...
, malariaMalariaMalaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
, and other potentially deadly diseases. Wistar is also working on a universal influenza vaccine that would be effective against all strains of influenzaInfluenzaInfluenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
, including avian fluAvian fluAvian influenza, sometimes avian flu, and commonly bird flu, refers to "influenza caused by viruses adapted to birds." Of the greatest concern is highly pathogenic avian influenza ....
.
- Vaccine licensing: The Institute has licensed its rabies and rubella vaccine seed stock to companies in China, India, and Russia to help these countries develop affordable vaccines for their own populations.
- Autoimmune disease: Wistar immunologists are developing new therapies for autoimmune diseaseAutoimmune diseaseAutoimmune diseases arise from an overactive immune response of the body against substances and tissues normally present in the body. In other words, the body actually attacks its own cells. The immune system mistakes some part of the body as a pathogen and attacks it. This may be restricted to...
s such as lupusSystemic lupus erythematosusSystemic lupus erythematosus , often abbreviated to SLE or lupus, is a systemic autoimmune disease that can affect any part of the body. As occurs in other autoimmune diseases, the immune system attacks the body's cells and tissue, resulting in inflammation and tissue damage...
and rheumatoid arthritisRheumatoid arthritisRheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, systemic inflammatory disorder that may affect many tissues and organs, but principally attacks synovial joints. The process produces an inflammatory response of the synovium secondary to hyperplasia of synovial cells, excess synovial fluid, and the development...
.
- HIV-1 Infection: Wistar scientists are developing new strategies for immunotherapy and collaborating with scientists locally and worldwide to develop a greater understanding of cases of natural resistance against infection (exposed uninfected) or disease progression (infected that control virus without therapy).
Training and outreach
Wistar's training and outreach initiatives include:- Educating area youth: Wistar offers internships, tours, and contests to area high school students to stimulate and nurture their interests in science. The Institute also offers a two-year training program for biomedical techniciansBiomedical Equipment TechnicianA Bio-Medical Equipment Technician, also referred to as a Biomed, Biomedical Engineering Technologist , Biomed Equipment Technician, a Biomedical Equipment Specialist or Electronics and Biomedical Engineer is a highly skilled electromechanical technologist that ensures that medical equipment is...
in partnership with the Community College of PhiladelphiaCommunity College of PhiladelphiaThe Community College of Philadelphia is a community college in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The main campus is located at 1700 Spring Garden Street in a building that was the former Philadelphia Mint...
.
- Engaging the community: The Institute hosts community events including lectures by noted science authors that are designed to stimulate science learningScience educationScience education is the field concerned with sharing science content and process with individuals not traditionally considered part of the scientific community. The target individuals may be children, college students, or adults within the general public. The field of science education comprises...
and discussion.
- Training the scientists of tomorrow: Over the past decade, nearly a thousand researchers, from predoctoral students to postdoctoral fellows and visiting scientists, have trained at Wistar.
History
Caspar Wistar (physician)
Caspar Wistar was an American physician and anatomist. He is sometimes referred to as Caspar Wistar the Younger, to distinguish him from his grandfather of the same name.-Biography:...
, M.D., a prominent Philadelphia physician who began his medical practice in 1787. Dr. Wistar was the author of the first American anatomy
Anatomy
Anatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy...
textbook. To augment his medical lectures and illustrate comparative anatomy
Comparative anatomy
Comparative anatomy is the study of similarities and differences in the anatomy of organisms. It is closely related to evolutionary biology and phylogeny .-Description:...
, Dr. Wistar began a collection of dried, wax-injected, and preserved human specimens. Two years before his death, he appointed William Edmonds Horner, M.D., as caretaker of the collection.
After Dr. Wistar’s death, Horner maintained and expanded the collection of anatomical specimens. The combined collections became known as the Wistar and Horner Museum. The Wistar and Horner Museum collections were further expanded under the curation of Joseph Leidy
Joseph Leidy
Joseph Leidy was an American paleontologist.Leidy was professor of anatomy at the University of Pennsylvania, and later was a professor of natural history at Swarthmore College. His book Extinct Fauna of Dakota and Nebraska contained many species not previously described and many previously...
, M.D., who acquired animal specimen
Specimen
A specimen is a portion/quantity of material for use in testing, examination, or study.BiologyA laboratory specimen is an individual animal, part of an animal, a plant, part of a plant, or a microorganism, used as a representative to study the properties of the whole population of that species or...
s as well as fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
and anthropological
Biological anthropology
Biological anthropology is that branch of anthropology that studies the physical development of the human species. It plays an important part in paleoanthropology and in forensic anthropology...
samples. By the late 1880s, the collection was beginning to show signs of wear and neglect, a situation compounded by a fire in Logan Hall at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, where the museum was housed.
When a fundraising campaign to refurbish and re-house the collection began, Dr. Wistar’s great nephew Colonel Isaac Jones Wistar became involved. Determined to preserve his great-uncle’s teaching collection and support new and original research of anatomy and biology, Isaac Jones Wistar funded an endowment and research building for The Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology. Designed by Philadelphia architects George W. and William G. Hewitt
G. W. & W. D. Hewitt
G. W. & W. D. Hewitt was a prominent architectural firm in the eastern United States at the turn of the twentieth century. It was founded in Philadelphia in 1878, by brothers George Wattson Hewitt and William Dempster Hewitt , both members of the American Institute of Architects...
, the original building is still part of the Wistar Institute’s research facility, and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
as part of the historic University City area in Philadelphia. Today, part of the human and animal skeletal collection is housed at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, commonly called The Penn Museum, is an archaeology and anthropology museum that is part of the University of Pennsylvania in the University City neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-History:An internationally renowned...
.
Animal testing
Animal testing, also known as animal experimentation, animal research, and in vivo testing, is the use of non-human animals in experiments. Worldwide it is estimated that the number of vertebrate animals—from zebrafish to non-human primates—ranges from the tens of millions to more than 100 million...
. It is estimated that more than half of all laboratory rats today are descendants of the original Wistar rat line.
Notable members
- Peter C. Doherty, Ph.D.: Doherty, an Australian veterinary surgeonVeterinary surgeonVeterinary surgeon is a term used to describe:*The full title of a vet, who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals, in the United Kingdom and several Commonwealth countries**See also Veterinary medicine in the United Kingdom...
and researcher in the field of medicine, has worked with the Institute since 1975, and is currently an emeritus member of the Institute's Board of Trustees. Doherty has received the Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical ResearchAlbert Lasker Award for Basic Medical ResearchThe Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research is one of the prizes awarded by the Lasker Foundation for the understanding, diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and cure of disease...
(1995), the Nobel Prize in Physiology or MedicineNobel Prize in Physiology or MedicineThe Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine administered by the Nobel Foundation, is awarded once a year for outstanding discoveries in the field of life science and medicine. It is one of five Nobel Prizes established in 1895 by Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, in his will...
jointly with Rolf M. ZinkernagelRolf M. ZinkernagelRolf Martin Zinkernagel AC is Professor of Experimental Immunology at the University of Zurich.-Career:...
(1996), and was named Australian of the Year (1997).
- Hilary Koprowski
Hilary KoprowskiHilary Koprowski is a Polish virologist and immunologist, and inventor of the world's first effective live polio vaccine.-Life:...
, M.D.: Koprowski, a Polish virologist and immunologist, is the inventor of the world's first effective live polio vaccinePolio vaccineTwo polio vaccines are used throughout the world to combat poliomyelitis . The first was developed by Jonas Salk and first tested in 1952. Announced to the world by Salk on April 12, 1955, it consists of an injected dose of inactivated poliovirus. An oral vaccine was developed by Albert Sabin...
. He served as director of the Institute from 1957 to 1991, a period during which Wistar achieved international recognition for its vaccine research and became a National Cancer Institute Cancer CenterNCI-designated Cancer CenterNCI-designated Cancer Centers are a group of approximately 66 cancer research institutions in the United States supported by the National Cancer Institute....
. He holds the title of Professor Laureate at Wistar and also serves on its Board of Trustees. Koprowski's numerous awards and distinctions include a Fulbright Scholarship, the Alvarenga Prize of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia (1959), Belgium's Royal Order of the Lion, the French Order of Merit for Research and Invention, the San Marino Award for Medicine (1989), the Nicolaus Copernicus Medal of the Polish Academy of SciencesPolish Academy of SciencesThe Polish Academy of Sciences, headquartered in Warsaw, is one of two Polish institutions having the nature of an academy of sciences.-History:...
, the Philadelphia Cancer Research Award, the John Scott AwardJohn Scott AwardThe John Scott Legacy Medal and Premium, created in 1816, is a medal presented to men and women whose inventions improved the "comfort, welfare, and happiness of human kind" in a significant way...
, the Philadelphia Award (May 1990), the title of "Commander of the Order of the Lion of FinlandOrder of the Lion of FinlandThere are three official orders in Finland: the Order of the Cross of Liberty, the Order of the White Rose of Finland and the Order of the Lion of Finland . The President of Finland is the Grand Master of all three orders. The orders are administered by boards consisting of a chancellor, a...
" (1995), the Legion d'HonneurLégion d'honneurThe Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
(1997), the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland (1998), and the Albert B. Sabin Gold MedalAlbert B. Sabin Gold MedalThe Albert B. Sabin Gold Medal is awarded annually by the Sabin Vaccine Institute in recognition of work in the field of vaccinology or a complementary field. It is in commemoration of the pioneering work of Albert B. Sabin.-List of previous recipients:...
(2007).
- Ruth PatrickRuth PatrickDr. Ruth Myrtle Patrick is a botanist and limnologist specializing in diatoms and freshwater ecology, who developed ways to measure the health of freshwater ecosystems and established a number of research facilities. She attended the Sunset Hill School in Kansas City, Missouri, graduating in 1925....
, Ph.D.: Patrick is an American botanist and limnologist specializing in diatoms and freshwater ecologyUpland and lowland (freshwater ecology)In studies of the ecology of freshwater rivers, habitats are classified as upland and lowland.-Definitions:Upland habitats are cold, clear, rocky, fast flowing rivers in mountainous areas; lowland habitats are warm, slow flowing rivers found in relatively flat lowland areas, with water that is...
, who developed ways to measure the health of freshwater ecosystems and established a number of research facilities. Her work has been widely published and she has received numerous awards for her scientific achievements, including the National Medal of ScienceNational Medal of ScienceThe National Medal of Science is an honor bestowed by the President of the United States to individuals in science and engineering who have made important contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of behavioral and social sciences, biology, chemistry, engineering, mathematics and...
in 1996 and the Heinz Award Chairman's Medal in 2002. Patrick is currently an emeritus member of the Institute's Board of Trustees.
- Stanley PlotkinStanley PlotkinStanley Plotkin is an American physician who currently works as an adviser at pharmaceutical firm Sanofi Pasteur. In the 1960s, he played a pivotal role in discovery of a vaccine against rubella virus while working at Wistar Institute in Philadelphia. Plotkin was a member of Wistar’s active...
, M.D.: Plotkin is an American physician, who, in the 1960s, played a pivotal role in discovery of a vaccine against the rubellaRubellaRubella, commonly known as German measles, is a disease caused by the rubella virus. The name "rubella" is derived from the Latin, meaning little red. Rubella is also known as German measles because the disease was first described by German physicians in the mid-eighteenth century. This disease is...
virus while working at Wistar. Plotkin was a member of Wistar’s active research faculty from 1960 to 1991. Plotkin’s professional awards include the Institute of Medicine of the National AcademiesInstitute of MedicineThe Institute of Medicine is a not-for-profit, non-governmental American organization founded in 1970, under the congressional charter of the National Academy of Sciences...
(2005); the Albert B. Sabin Gold MedalAlbert B. Sabin Gold MedalThe Albert B. Sabin Gold Medal is awarded annually by the Sabin Vaccine Institute in recognition of work in the field of vaccinology or a complementary field. It is in commemoration of the pioneering work of Albert B. Sabin.-List of previous recipients:...
(2002); the French Legion Medal of HonorLégion d'honneurThe Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
(1998); the Clinical Virology Award, Pan American Group for Rapid Viral Diagnosis (1995); the Distinguished Physician Award, Pediatric Infectious Disease Society (1993); and the Bruce Medal of the American College of Physicians (1987).
- Tadeusz J. Wiktor, DVM: a veterinarian and part of the team which developed the human diploid cell vaccine for use protecting humans against rabiesRabiesRabies is a viral disease that causes acute encephalitis in warm-blooded animals. It is zoonotic , most commonly by a bite from an infected animal. For a human, rabies is almost invariably fatal if post-exposure prophylaxis is not administered prior to the onset of severe symptoms...
. Former head of the Institute's rabies unit.