At birth Alexis Martinez appeared to be a healthy newborn. When she went into a coma after nursing, however, her alarmed parents took her to Doernbecher, where she was diagnosed with a metabolic disorder in which excess ammonia in the blood can cause irreversible brain damage and even death.
Lexi’s diagnosis triggered an endless series of emergency room visits and hospitalizations. At 13 months she received a feeding tube. She was so fragile that common colds and minor infections were potentially life threatening. By the time Lexi was 6 years old, she was facing a life of chronic illness.
A risky and expensive liver transplant was the only true cure. For Lexi’s parents, the decision to go ahead with the surgery— which was mercifully successful — was the most difficult of their lives.
Imagine a world in which they wouldn’t have to make it.
Today the potential exists for all diseases currently treated by organ transplantation to be remedied by cell therapy instead. In this remarkable scenario, special healthy cells would be introduced into the liver or any other damaged organ to simply replace diseased cells and restore normal function. Such cells have remarkable potential as therapies for both pediatric and adult diseases.
OHSU’s biomedical research building will house a stem cell center that is the first of its kind in the Northwest. Its pioneering team will collaborate with scientists next door at the Papé Family Pediatric Research Institute, where pediatric specialists will work to translate basic research into new therapies. Working together, this dream team can change the world for the Lexis of tomorrow.
