Patient care is at the heart of everything we do at the GGC. The field of genetic and genomic medicine is advancing quickly with breakthroughs happening at an exciting pace. The Greenwood Genetic Center’s JC Self Research Institute of Human Genetics is leading the way in partnerships to identify the causes and mechanisms for rare genetic disorders as well as common diseases.
Advances in medicine occur faster when researchers, laboratory scientists, and clinicians collaborate to investigate genetic diseases. Scientists in our Research Division actively share information and discoveries across GGC as well as with researchers and clinical collaborators from around the world. Below are some of the organizations who are working with us toward our goal of reducing the prevalence and impact of genetic disorders.
Clemson Institute for Human Genetics
GGC has joined efforts with the CIHG to expand the genomic capabilities of both Centers through collaborations aimed at uncovering the genetic diagnosis for patients whose answer was not found through prior testing. We actively collaborate with the CIHG on numerous research projects, including the use of fruit flies to model genetic disorders and test how natural variation in the genome can influence disease severity and penetrance.
GGC researchers have developed research collaborations with scientists at UofSC and UofSC School of Medicine. These interactions range from collaborative studies on autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders, the training of medical students during summer rotations, and functional studies projects on mitochondrial disorders.
MitoSense and the Veteran’s Administration
GGC is working with MitoSense and the US Veteran’s Administration on the Carroll A. Campbell, Jr. Alzheimer’s Initiative. With the BioSpherix Xvivo System at GGC’s McAlhany Family Center for Collaborative Research in Greenwood, researchers are isolating mitochondria from healthy donor cells for potential Mitochondria Organelle Transplantation (MOTTM), a therapy that was developed by MitoSense and has the potential to not only revolutionize Alzheimer’s treatment but also holds implications for pediatric patients with rare diseases of mitochondrial dysfunction.
Pharmaceutical Companies
In light of our ultimate goal to identify treatments for genetic disorders, researchers at GGC engage in several partnerships with pharmaceutical companies and academic institutions to develop and test therapies. Dr. Richard Steet and Dr. Heather Flanagan-Steet are working with pharmaceutical companies and external collaborators to explore new therapies for PMM2-CDG and ML-II.
Family Foundations
Partnerships with family-led foundations are an integral component of the research conducted at the Greenwood Genetic Center. We are deeply grateful for their generous support, which plays a vital role in advancing the understanding of rare diseases and improving our ability to diagnose and treat these conditions.
Are you interested in becoming a collaborator or partner with GGC? Do you know an organization that would greatly benefit our medical advancements?
