City of Hope researchers design and use ribozymes for AIDS research. Sometimes called "molecular scissors," ribozymes composed of catalytic RNA clip out the genetic message of the AIDS virus and render it harmless.
In 1992, City of Hope establishes a Gene Therapy Program and receives a four-year research grant from the National Institutes of Health.
Clinical investigators at City of Hope develop a new bone marrow transplant approach that significantly improves survival and cure rates by minimizing the risk of pneumonia.
City of Hope researchers discover that DNA repair is not uniform along the length of a gene and that the places where repair is slowest correspond to the most common mutation sites found in tumors, a fundamental insight that impacts research worldwide.
City of Hope Graduate School of Biological Sciences is chartered in 1993.
In 1996, City of Hope scientists uncover the first definitive molecular evidence linking the active compounds in cigarette smoke to lung cancer.
The first FDA-approved human clinical trial of gene transfer for HIV/AIDS begins at City of Hope in 1997 using bone marrow transplantation technology to genetically target HIV infection.
City of Hope scientists discover the first new steroid-like hormone in 30 years, Androstanol, which reverses or halts gene activity, a breakthrough that may prove instrumental in the development of new medicines to treat or even prevent diseases such as cancer and diabetes.
In 1997, City of Hope greatly expands its research and clinical capabilities with the opening of the Rose and Howard Fox Research Plaza, the Leslie and Susan Gonda (Goldschmied) Diabetes and Genetic Research Center, and the Geri & Richard Brawerman Ambulatory Care Center.
In recognition of its outstanding cancer research, treatment and education programs, City of Hope receives status as a Comprehensive Cancer Center, the highest designation awarded by the National Cancer Institute.
City of Hope is one of the first U.S. medical centers to perform laparoscopic radical prostatectomies to treat prostate cancer.
The Center for Biomedicine & Genetics opens at City of Hope in 2000. One of the only academic, research-based facilities for the production of high-grade antibodies, genetically engineered cells, DNA plasmids and other therapeutic agents in the U.S., it ensures that innovations are efficiently translated from research lab to clinical testing, greatly accelerating patient access to new therapies.
In 2001, the National Institutes of Health designates City of Hope as one of just 10 national centers for isolating and distributing islet cells for patients with type 1 diabetes.
The Rita Cooper Finkel and J. William Finkel Women’s Health Center opens in 2003, dedicated to the physical and emotional well-being of all women.
A $36 million contribution from Betty and Irwin Helford, the largest private gift ever made to City of Hope, provides major funding for the 2005 opening of City of Hope Helford Clinical Research Hospital, which combines innovative medicine and compassionate care in one state-of-the-art facility.
City of Hope operates one of the largest, most successful bone marrow and stem cell transplant programs in the world, performing more than 8,000 procedures to date.
City of Hope ranks in the top 5 percent of the thousands of institutions nationally that receive funds from the National Institutes of Health.
City of Hope maintains the No. 1 hematology program and the No. 1 prostate cancer program in California and ranks No. 2 in the state for its breast cancer program, based on the number of patients treated.
In 2007, City of Hope is ranked as one of “America’s Best Hospitals” in cancer and urology by U.S.News and World Report.
City of Hope breaks ground on the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center for Cancer Immunotherapeutics and Tumor Immunology in 2007. Dedicated to immunotherapy and tumor immunology research, it will also house the City of Hope Graduate School of Biological Sciences, and is made possible by a $20 million grant from the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation.
Committed to providing the most advanced care possible, City of Hope performs more robotic-assisted surgeries than any hospital in the country.
The institution’s first green-certified building, the Michael Amini Transfusion Medical Center, breaks ground in late 2007. Made possible by a $6 million gift from Michael Amini, the facility will allow City of Hope to expand its blood collection, analysis, processing and transfusion programs.
In 2007, City of Hope partners with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Childrens Hospital Los Angeles to establish ThinkCure, the official charity of the Dodgers, which supports lifesaving research at the two hospitals.
