Dr. Eric Lagasse is an associate professor in the Department of Pathology and the Director of the Cancer Stem Cell Center. In 1985, he received his Diplôme d’Etat de Docteur en Pharmacie from University of Strasbourg, France and in 1989 he completed his Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of Basel, Switzerland. From 1989 to 1997, Dr. Lagasse was in the Department of Developmental Biology and Pathology, Stanford University. Dr. Lagasse served as the Director, Liver Stem Cell Discovery Program at StemCells Inc, Palo Alto, CA. from 1997 until he joined the McGowan Institute in July 2004.
Liver disease is an exceptionally common cause of morbidity and mortality in the U.S. It is estimated that 1 in 10 Americans suffer from liver disease, and liver disease routinely ranks in the top ten causes of death in modern societies. The most prevalent causes of liver disease are viral hepatitis, cirrhosis and genetic mutations, with fibrosis and hepatocarcinoma as an outcome for most of these disorders. Despite the medical importance of this problem, major advances in medical therapy have been generally restricted to the prevention and treatment of certain forms of viral hepatitis. A wide spectrum of acute and chronic liver dysfunction is still treated with supportive rather than curative approaches.
Dr. Lagasse’s research focuses on the development of novel cell-based therapies for patients suffering from degenerative diseases using stem/progenitor cells. In addition he is establishing a Cancer Stem Cell Center, a collaborative effort between the McGowan Institute and the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute. His current research includes:
IDENTIFICATION OF HUMAN STEM/PROGENITOR CELLS FOR LIVER DISEASES.The goal of this research is to develop a novel stem cell-based therapy for liver diseases. Our current focus is on the identification of new human stem cells. The specific aims of this research program include:
- Identification, isolation, and characterization of stem/progenitor cells for liver diseases.
- Development of reliable and convenient assays for stem cells.
- In vitro and in vivo expansion of stem cells.
- Development of cell-based therapies for liver diseases.
The goal of this program is to develop a Cancer Stem Cell Center focusing initially on liver and prostate cancers in collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Center. The specific aims of this research program include:
- Identification, isolation, and characterization of cancer stem cells for liver and prostate.
- Development of specific markers for liver and prostate cancer.
- Identification of new drug targets for liver and prostate cancer.
DEVELOPMENT OF NEW MODELS FOR HEPATITIS.
One of the goals of this program is to develop a "humanized" mouse
model to enable the study of in vivo pathogenesis of human hepatitis
viruses in the context of a small animal model. Such animal model could allow
the discovery and testing of better therapeutics for the detection, treatment,
or prevention of this prevalent infectious agent.
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CONTACT INFORMATION
Dr. Eric Lagasse, Pharm.D., Ph.D.Phone: (412) 624-5285
Email: lagasse@pitt.edu