UCLA may get stem cell grants
By Rotem Ben-Shachar
Nov. 21, 2006 9:00 p.m.
Embryonic stem cell research at UCLA may soon get a boost with
new grants by the California Institute for Regenerative
Medicine.
The amount of money UCLA will receive will not be determined
until early 2007. In 2005 the UCLA Institute for Stem Cell Biology
and Medicine received a $3.75 million grant, which is more than any
other research institution in California received.
The institute announced Monday that because lawsuits challenging
its constitutionality had been settled, it would have $181 million
by the end of the year to fund stem cell research, training and
facilities development grants.
The institute was formed to provide state funds to researchers,
since the federal government announced in 2001 that it would not do
so.
In July, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ordered a $150 million loan
to the institute from the state’s general fund. It will also
receive $31 million from the sale of a special kind of bond to
individuals and private organizations.
But the loan money has been delayed for months, and lawsuits
challenging the constitutionality of the state institute prevented
the approval of the additional money from bond sales.
The loan money was officially approved Monday by the California
Stem Cell Finance Committee, headed by Treasurer Phil
Angelides.
Until now, the institute has been funded only by donations.
According to a press release, the institute aspires to fund $300
million per year in stem cell research that the federal government
will not fund.
Guoping Fan, a professor of human genetics at the David Geffen
School of Medicine at UCLA, said he is excited to see California
taking a more proactive approach to funding stem cell research.
“We have very limited funding on a federal level. Compared
to other countries, the United States is far behind,” Fan
said. “It’s great to see the U.S. taking a lead, and it
is especially great for UCLA, which is very strong in stem cell
research.”
UCLA’s stem cell institute was formed in 2005. Since then,
many professors have applied for grants in embryonic stem cell
research.
“This loan will be used to fund the current round of
applications for grants, many of which were made by UCLA
faculty,” said William Lowry, a professor in the department
of molecular, cell and development biology.
Officials from the California Institute for Regenerative
Medicine said they were not surprised the loan had been
approved.
“We have anticipated this loan happening. Now it finally
has,” said Kirk Kleinschmidt, director of legislation and
research policy at the institute.
The state institute is currently reviewing proposals for the
initial component of its first major research program, Innovation
in Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research.
The program is expected to provide more than $150 million in
grants over the next four years, with awards beginning in 2007.
The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine will give out
two types of grants: SEED Grants, which are given to people new in
the field of embryonic stem cell research, and Comprehensive
Research Grants, given to more established researchers,
Kleinschmidt said.
Both types of grants will be funded by the loan passed on
Monday.
So far, 232 SEED applications were submitted, while only 30 will
be accepted, and 70 Comprehensive Research Grant applications were
submitted, and 25 will be accepted, Kleinschmidt said.
A review committee of scientists will soon meet to evaluate the
scientific merit of the applications, and hope to approve the
grants
in February, March or April of 2007.
Steve Peckman, associate director of UCLA’s institute,
said he is confident UCLA will receive many grants.
“UCLA faculty will be very competitive in this
competition,” he said.
April Pyle, a professor of microbiology, immunology and
molecular genetics, said she looks forward to the future state of
stem cell research, but warned that the research is still in its
beginning stages.
“It’s exciting that we have the allowed possibility
for stem cell research in California, but the program is still in
its infancy. There is still a lot of progress to be made,”
she said.
