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In World of BMT Research, Roads Lead to Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin
Since 1972, the Medical College of Wisconsin has been home to a major player in the world of blood and marrow transplant research — the International Bone Marrow Transplant Registry (IBMTR). Along with its sister organization, the Autologous Bloodand Marrow Transplant Registry, the IBMTR collects data on the outcomes of blood and marrow transplants performed at hundreds of medical centers worldwide.
Dr. Mary Horowitz has served as scientific director of the IBMTR/ABMTR since 1991. She says one of the organization’s major functions is identifying successful transplant strategies. The IBMTR/ABMTR also serves as the coordinating center for the Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network, a National Institutes of Health-funded research consortium that conducts studies in more than 50 transplant centers. Dr. James Wade says this leadership role puts Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin in an exciting position. “It gives us the opportunity to be right in the thick of BMT research,” he says. “That’s good for us and good for our patients.”
Merger Expands DatabaseThis summer, the IBMTR/ABMTR merged with the research arm of the National Marrow Donor Program. The newly created entity is called the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR).
The CIBMTR boasts the world’s largest blood and marrow transplant database, with records on more than 190,000 procedures. According to Dr. Horowitz, who will continue as scientific director of the new organization, the CIBMTR will gather data from 500medical centers in nearly 50 countries, capturing up to 16,000 transplant outcomes per year. This expanded bank of data, she says, will make it easier to conduct multi-center studies on today’s most critical blood and marrow transplant issues.
Source: Froedtert Today Date: November 2004 |