Senator Santorum Announces Innovative Treatment for Wounded Soldiers
Santorum also meets with employees at II-VI Incorporated in Butler County and Optical Systems Technology, Inc. in Armstrong County
U.S. Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA), Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, today announced $1 million in federal funding for the Soldier Treatment and Repair Consortium (STRaC), a national partnership of leading military and academic research centers and industry, including the Pittsburgh Tissue Engineering Initiative (PTEI) and the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine (MIRM) at the University of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. The STRaC has been in development for the past year; today marks the first public announcement of the consortium, made possible in part by federal funding.
"Pittsburgh is a leading center for tissue regeneration research and development. I have supported research in this area because of the positive strides being made to improve the quality of life for soldiers suffering serious and complicated injuries while serving their country," said Senator Santorum. "I am pleased to announce $1 million I secured in the Fiscal Year 2006 Defense Appropriations bill for the Soldier Treatment and Regeneration Consortium to explore regenerative medicine techniques through local institutions like the University of Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Tissue Engineering Initiative, and the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine."
Senator Santorum also secured $1.75 million in the Fiscal Year 2006 Defense Appropriations bill for the National Tissue Engineering Center to fund the continuation of a broad-based research agenda including cell-based therapies, biomaterials, tissue engineering, medical devices, and artificial organs at PTEI. Senator Santorum has secured $11 million in federal funding to support regenerative tissue and cell-based therapies research and development for these Pittsburgh-based initiatives since 2001.
Senator Santorum; Chancellor Mark Nordenberg, University of Pittsburgh; and Alan Russell, PhD., Executive Director of the Pittsburgh Tissue Engineering Initiative met with military officials and regenerative medical researchers to discuss accomplishments made in the field. The briefing also included an update on the progress of the Soldier Treatment and Repair Consortium (STRaC).
"Senator Santorum has championed medical research to improve therapies for the men and women of the armed forces who defend our nation," said Dr. Russell. "STRaC will build upon the National Tissue Engineering Center's progress and provide a national infrastructure for development of new therapies to treat devastating combat injuries in a way that maximizes the opportunity for full restoration of tissue function."
Senator Santorum today also met with employees from two area companies to give a federal legislative update and answer questions. The Senator was at II-VI Incorporated in Saxonburg, Butler County and later at Optical Systems Technology in Freeport, Armstrong County. Both II-VI and Optical Systems invited Senator Santorum to visit their companies.
For more information about Senator Santorum and regenerative tissue research and development go to http://santorum.senate.gov and enter the keywords TISSUE RESEARCH.
http://santorum.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressOffice.View&ContentRecord_id=1697&Region_id=0&Issue_id=0