Pacific Heart Lung & Blood Institute

SERVES AS A CENTER OF CROSS-DISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH THAT SIGNIFICANTLY CONTRIBUTES TO DISCOVERIES OF NEW TREATMENTS FOR HEART, LUNG, AND BLOOD DISEASES, AND TO PROVIDE A PLATFORM FOR MEDICAL EDUCATION FOR BOTH CONSUMERS AND PROFESSIONALS

THE PACIFIC HEART, LUNG & BLOOD INSTITUTE (PHLBI) FOCUSES ON ORPHAN DISEASES OF THE HEART, LUNG AND BLOOD THAT RECEIVE LITTLE ATTENTION AND FUNDING. ONE OF THE DIVISIONS OF PHLBI, THE PACIFIC MESOTHELIOMA CENTER (PMC), IS CURRENTLY DEVELOPING CANCER THERAPIES USING MESENCHYMAL STEM CELLS (MSCS) DERIVED FROM PLACENTA AND BONE MARROW. THESE CELLS ARE MODIFIED TO EXPRESS LARGE AMOUNTS OF INTERLEUKIN 12, WHICH STIMULATES THE IMMUNE SYSTEM TO REJECT CANCER CELLS. WE WERE AWARDED WITH OUR MESENCHYMAL STEM CELL PROJECT IN 2018. A STRENGTH IN OUR INSTITUTE IS THAT THE CLINICAL AND RESEARCH TEAMS ARE DIRECTLY CONNECTED, ALLOWING US ACCESS TO PATIENT SPECIMENS FOR OUR TISSUE BANK, WHICH IS THE BEST ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH TO DEVELOP CANCER IMMUNOTHERAPY STRATEGIES. THIS POSITIONS US FAVORABLY OVER OTHER RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS FOR RESEARCH BREAKTHROUGHS. ESTABLISHING NEW THERAPEUTIC STRATEGIES IS OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY.INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON MALIGNANT PLEURAL MESOTHELIOMADUE TO COVID 19, WE DID NOT PUT ON OUR INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON MALIGNANT PLEURAL MESOTHELIOMA MIN 2022. ADVOCACYTHE PMC STRIVES FOR A HEALTHY AMERICA BY ADVOCATING FOR A CARCINOGEN-FREE ENVIRONMENT, INFORMING THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE USE OF ASBESTOS IN AMERICA, AND MOBILIZING THE PUBLIC TO ENSURE ASBESTOS REFORM THROUGH A COMPLETE AND TOTAL BAN. PATIENT SUPPORT GROUPTHIS MARKS THE SEVENTH YEAR SINCE PMC BEGAN OFFERING MONTHLY PATIENT SUPPORT GROUP MEETINGS. THE SUPPORT GROUP LED BY PMC NURSE PRACTITIONER LIEN HUA-FENG WAS CREATED TO GIVE PATIENTS OF MESOTHELIOMA AN OUTLET TO ASK QUESTIONS, SHARE STORIES, AND RELEASE DIFFICULT EMOTIONS. THE GROUP HELPS CAREGIVERS CONNECT WITH OTHER CARE-GIVERS WHO CAN DIRECTLY RELATE TO THEIR EXPERIENCES. INTERNATIONAL TISSUE BANK SHARED WITH UCLATHE PHLBI RECEIVED INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD (IRB) APPROVAL IN 2016 FOR ITS INTERNATIONAL TISSUE BANK. DISEASES OF THE HEART, LUNG AND BLOOD AFFECT A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE U.S. AND THROUGHOUT THE WORLD EACH YEAR. IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT BOTH PERSONAL HEALTH INFORMATION AND TISSUE SAMPLES ARE COLLECTED FROM AS MANY PATIENTS AS POSSIBLE IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND: THE NORMAL TISSUE BIOLOGY THE NATURAL HISTORY OF THE DISEASE OUTCOMES FROM CURRENT TREATMENTS THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF POTENTIAL FUTURE NOVEL THERAPIES PHLBI IS SOLICITING TISSUE SPECIMENS AND SEEKS STUDY PARTICIPANTS WHO WISH TO DONATE THEIR TISSUE AND PERSONAL HEALTH INFORMATION FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE RESEARCH AT THE INSTITUTE. THE GREATEST ESCAPE MOTORCYCLE RIDE APRIL 16TH, 2022SEAN MCNABB, THE GRAND MARSHAL LED THE RIDE OF APPROX. 50 MOTORCYCLISTS, INCLUDING CELEBRITIES, FROM VENTURA HARLEY-DAVIDSON TO THE ELKS LODGE IN SIMI VALLEY. AT THE LODGE THE MOTORCYCLISTS WERE ENTERTAINED BY THE SIDE MEN AND HAD A DELICIOUS LUNCH WITH A SILENT AND LIVE AUCTION. THE 11TH ANNUAL WALK/HIKE FOR MESOTHELIOMA, SEPTEMBER 25TH, 2022 THE 11TH ANNUAL 5K WALK/HIKE FOR MESOTHELIOMA TOOK PLACE ON SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25TH, 2022. WALKERS MET IN PERSON AT THE KENNETH HAHN PARK IN BALDWIN HILLS, OR CHOSE THEIR ROUTE WALKING VIRTUALLY. 186 WALKERS REGISTERED AND WE HAD TEAMS WALKING VIRTUALLY IN PORTUGAL, THE UNITED KINGDOM, AUSTRIA, AND CITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER CASINO EVENING, NOVEMBER 20TH 2022OVER 220 PEOPLE ATTENDED THE SECOND EVENING DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER WHICH WAS HELD AT THE BEAUTIFUL TAGLYAN COMPLEX IN HOLLYWOOD. COCKTAILS, APPETIZERS, DINNER WITH DELICIOUS WINE, GAMES, FABULOUS PRIZES AND A LIVE AND SILENT AUCTION. THE PACIFIC HEART, LUNG & BLOOD INSTITUTE THE MISSION OF THE PACIFIC HEART, LUNG & BLOOD INSTITUTE IS TO SERVE AS A CENTER OF CROSS-DISCIPLINARY SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH THAT SIGNIFICANTLY CONTRIBUTES TO DISCOVERIES OF NEW TREATMENTS FOR HEART, LUNG, AND BLOOD DISEASES, AND TO PROVIDE A PLATFORM FOR MEDICAL EDUCATION FOR BOTH CONSUMERS AND PROFESSIONALS THAT IMPROVES ACCESSIBILITY TO EFFECTIVE TREATMENTS OF THESE DISEASES AND ENHANCES PREVENTION OF THESE CONDITIONS IN THE GENERAL POPULATION. THE PACIFIC MESO CENTERMISSION: THE PACIFIC MESO CENTERS MISSION IS TO BETTER SERVE MESOTHELIOMA PATIENTS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES BY SUPPORTING THE FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND NATIONAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE DESIGNED TO IMPROVE THEIR LONGEVITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE, AND TO DISCOVER INNOVATIVE THERAPIES FOR TREATING MALIGNANT PLEURAL MESOTHELIOMA (MPM) AS A CHRONIC, TREATABLE DISEASE.