New Stem Cell Research Grants Announced

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New Stem Cell Research Grants Announced

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=48461

The Tri-Institutional Stem Cell Initiative, comprised of three

leading New York City biomedical research institutions -- Memorial

Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, The Rockefeller University, and Weill

Medical College of Cornell University -- has announced the first wave

of stem cell research projects to be funded through a $50 million

gift from The Starr Foundation. The gift was announced on May 23,

2005.

Seventeen projects have been approved for funding for a total of $6.7

million over two years. The Tri-Institutional Stem Cell Initiative

specifically sought grant applications for support of highly

collaborative new research projects in the stem cell arena, and all

of the projects involve collaborations among research scientists from

at least two of the three institutions. They will explore the basic

biology or therapeutic potential of stem cells derived from humans or

model organisms.

The goal of the Tri-Institutional Stem Cell Initiative is to support

stem cell research broadly, including studies of human embryonic stem

cells (both those registered by the federal government and those that

are not) as well as adult, fetal, and cancer stem cells, as well as

stem cells from experimental animals.

Earlier this year, the Initiative awarded funds to each of the three

institutions for development and expansion of core research

facilities to derive, maintain, and characterize human embryonic stem

cells.

" We are very pleased with the breadth and quality of these projects, "

said Kathleen Pickering, Executive Director, Tri-Institutional Stem

Cell Initiative. " The collaborative nature of these grants provides

new opportunities for faculty to work together across the three

institutions on diverse stem cell projects, ranging from basic

research to those that lay the groundwork for therapeutic

approaches, " she said.

The review and selection process for the projects included

researchers from each of the Tri-Institutional partners, four

external reviewers with background and expertise in various aspects

of stem cell sciences, and the Executive Committee of the Tri-

Institutional Stem Cell Initiative.

In accordance with the Guidelines for Stem Cell Research issued by

the National Academy of Sciences, a number of the projects selected

for funding under the Tri-Institutional Stem Cell Initiative will be

reviewed by an Embryonic Stem Cell Research Oversight Committee

(ESCRO) because they entail use of human embryonic stem cells.