The Cohen Laboratory is funded through multiple NIH and foundational grants to support the aims of the laboratory.

Next generation of stem cell therapies (Helmsley Foundation)
– This grant is aimed at understanding the therapeutic role of autologous stem cell transplantation in patients with refractory Crohn’s disease and the mechanisms through which patients acquire medically refractory Crohn’s disease and response to stem cell transplantation

Characterization of lectins to understand human microbiome functions and develop live biotherapeutics (NIH NIDDK)
– This grant is aimed at understanding the role of lectins made by human associated microbiota in shaping the intestinal immune system. The goal of this project is to develop live biotherapeutics that utilize lectins to shape myeloid differentiation.

Moving beyond inflammation as a therapeutic target for Crohn’s disease (Helmsley Foundation)
– This grant is aimed at understanding the therapeutic role of GLP1RA in patients with refractory Crohn’s disease. This project is centered around a clinical trial of GLPR1RA in patients with refractory Crohn’s disease and will simultaneously interrogate the mechanisms through which GLPR1RA drive epithelial healing through translational and in vitro models. This project is in collaboration with Washington University in St Louis and Cedars Sinai.

Understanding hematopoietic stem cell dysfunction in refractory Crohn’s disease (NIH NIDDK)
– This grant is aimed at understanding the role of hematopoietic stem cells in the pathophysiology of refractory Crohns disease. This project will functionally characterize hematopoietic stem cells from Crohn’s patients including stem cells in circulation, in the bone marrow and the intestinal mucosa. This project will utilize single cell analyses, cellular differentiation assays as well as mouse xenograft models.