Martin Pera Talks About the Need to Create New Embryonic Stem Cell Lines

Earl J. Beadle Productions, Inc.

On August 9, 2001, President Bush announced that only embryonic stem cell lines created before that date could be used in federally funded research. These pre-existing lines have proven insufficient for most research. Many have genetic defects, don’t grow well in the lab, represent just a narrow slice of human diversity, and may be contaminated with animal products. Martin Pera has a CIRM grant to develop techniques for creating high quality new human embryonic stem cell lines. Pera is professor of cell and neurobiology at the Keck School of Medicine and Director of the Eli & Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at the University of Southern California.