Red Cross Lab

Originally Released: March 4, 1996
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AMERICAN RED CROSS NATIONAL HLA LAB MOVES TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND MEDICAL CENTER IN BALTIMORE

The Red Cross National HLA Reference Laboratory, one of the largest and most technologically advanced facilities of its kind in the United States, will relocate to the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore in late summer. The lab, which has 55 employees and an annual payroll of $2.5 million, is currently located in Rockville, Md. The University of Maryland Medical Center, the State of Maryland, the City of Baltimore, and the Abell Foundation worked with the Red Cross to create an economic incentive package valued at more than $3.5 million to bring the facility to Baltimore.

The lab needed to move from its Rockville location to become linked with a regional blood center. With the move, the lab will be supported by the Greater Chesapeake and Potomac Blood Services Region of the Red Cross, and will begin collaboration in patient services and research with the University of Maryland Medical Center, one of the largest organ transplant centers in the United States.

"We are excited about this collaboration between the American Red Cross and the University of Maryland Medical Center," says David L. Simms, CEO/COO of the American Red Cross Greater Chesapeake and Potomac Blood Services Region. "It brings together two strong partners in a mutually beneficial alliance that will ultimately help many people who have serious illnesses, including cancer, organ failure, and AIDS."

The National HLA Reference Laboratory plays a vital role in analyzing blood samples to find suitable matches for patients who need bone marrow transplants. For the past 20 years, the lab has provided services for the NIH, the National Marrow Donor Program, medical centers across the United States and other Red Cross regional programs.

At its new 11,000 square foot facility at the University of Maryland Medical Center, the lab will also bring together top researchers studying the body's complex immune system and its role in various diseases including AIDS and cancer, as well as in organ and bone marrow transplants. This research will support the development of new treatments and improved ways to prevent rejection after transplants.

"The Red Cross lab will be an extraordinary asset to this community and to our medical center. In particular, it fits in with our commitment to comprehensive transplant services and research," says Morton I. Rapoport, M.D., President and CEO of the University of Maryland Medical System.

"For example, research in conjunction with the new lab may enable us to develop a better understanding of the fundamentals of the rejection process. That is important, because more than 20 percent of people with solid organ transplants have a rejection episode within the first year," says Dr. Rapoport.

The University of Maryland Medical Center's growing organ transplant program is one of the busiest in the nation, especially for pancreas and kidney transplants.

The Red Cross HLA Reference Laboratory is headed by Michael Chopek, M.D. "This new facility will continue to be owned and operated by the Red Cross. Our collaboration with the University of Maryland will allow us to continue to provide excellent service to our clients throughout the country and to expand these services. At the same time, we will be part of some exciting new research initiatives," Dr. Chopek says.

Because of its staff expertise and sophisticated equipment, the Red Cross lab provides the most precise analysis possible. The lab evaluates white blood cell samples to determine a person's unique HLA type, which is like a blood type, but much more detailed. The lab also analyzes blood for antibodies to HLA (human leucocyte antigen), which is important in predicting the risk of rejection.

The lab is in the forefront of developing precise DNA testing techniques, which can improve the chance for a suitable transplant match and a good outcome for the patient.

In conjunction with the opening of the Red Cross lab, Dr. Sanford A. Stass, M.D., the director of the Laboratories of Pathology at the University of Maryland Medical Center, has recruited Dean Mann, M.D., a nationally-known researcher from the National Institutes of Health, to head the University of Maryland Division of Immunogenetics.

"We are delighted that the Red Cross has decided to keep this high caliber laboratory in Maryland," says Maryland Governor Parris N. Glendening. "It provides more evidence of Maryland's strengths in the life sciences.

"The new lab fits in well with our recent recruitment of world-renowned AIDS expert Dr. Robert Gallo, whose new Institute of Human Virology will be located just two blocks from the University of Maryland Medical Center. Dr. Gallo's work on diseases of the immune system ties in with the testing performed by the Red Cross lab," says the Governor.

"The continued development of the life sciences is a critical part of the city's economic development strategy, providing jobs and opportunities for our citizens," says Baltimore Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke. "The addition of the National HLA Reference Laboratory will be a valuable resource to the dynamic scientific work already underway."

"The University of Maryland's Transplant Program is already one of the country's finest and the HLA lab will only serve to enhance that reputation," says Donald E. Wilson, M.D., M.A.C.P., Dean of the University of Maryland School of Medicine. "The HLA lab also increases opportunities for collaboration with investigators throughout the School of Medicine, the campus, and the Institute of Human Virology. The lab is a real asset to the University of Maryland's life sciences initiatives."

The University of Maryland Medical Center is spending $3 million for construction and space renovation. The 11,000 square foot facility will include rooms for DNA preparation, extraction, and analysis, a dark room, a tissue and culture lab, office space, and a 400 square foot refrigerator.

Capital funds are expected from Baltimore City and the State of Maryland to underwrite the relocation, development, and operation of the new lab. The Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development and the Baltimore Development Corporation are each planning to donate $200,000. The Abell Foundation will also contribute $100,000. There are also employment training incentive grants from the Maryland Industrial Training Program, $20,000 and the Mayor's Office of Employment Development, $10,000. Since the new facility will be located in the Empowerment Zone, the Baltimore Development Corporation will work with Empower Baltimore Management Corporation, the Mayor's Office of Employment Development, and the Red Cross to recruit Baltimore City residents for positions created by the relocation.

The architectural firm for the project is Architecture for Health, Science and Commerce, New York.

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This page was last updated on: May 27, 2008.