September 2010 Digest

CIRM September Digest

Wednesday, October 6, 2010 marks the third annual Stem Cell Awareness Day, which brings together organizations and individuals around the world working to realize the benefits of one of the most promising fields of science in our time. On the same day, stem cell scientists will be visiting classrooms and discussing stem cell research with students.

Find an event near you

Federal Funding Battles

After an injunction in August halting federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research, a U.S. appeals court in September allowed the funding to continue pending a full appeal. According to a survey of CIRM grantees, roughly a quarter had NIH funding for human embryonic stem cell research and most report being concerned about the future of their projects. A recent CIRM Blog entry highlights comments from that survey, describing how this ruling would impact their labs and the entire stem cell research field.

Read the comments

 
Spinal Cord Injury Video

CIRM released a new video about progress towards a stem cell-based clinical trial for spinal cord injury. The video features Roman Reed, president of the Roman Reed Foundation, and Dr. Oswald Steward, Director of the Reeve-Irvine Research Center at UC Irvine and member of the CIRM Governing Board.

Watch the video

Invitation for Public Comments

CIRM announced that members of the public are invited to submit comments or questions regarding CIRM's October 13-14th external review.

Read the announcement