Alan Trounson Commends Success With Primate Cells, Opposes Cloning Of Humans & Non-Human Primates

SAN FRANCISCO, November 14, 2007 Dr. Alan Trounson, recently named President of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, today issued the following statement:

  “Scientists at the Oregon National Primate Research Centre have made an important step forward in our quest to generate human cells for use in curing disease and in aiding trauma victims. This quest is at the heart of stem cell research, which will benefit humankind and which is strongly supported by most people.

  This quest to develop stem cells is not an attempt to clone humans or non-human primates and I want to affirm in the strongest possible terms my opposition to such cloning. ”

 About CIRM
CIRM was established in 2004 with the passage of Proposition 71, the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Act. The statewide ballot measure, which provided $3 billion in funding for stem cell research at California universities and research institutions, was overwhelmingly approved by voters, and called for the establishment of an entity to make grants and provide loans for stem cell research, research facilities, and other vital research opportunities. To date, the CIRM governing board has approved 136 research grants totaling almost $208 million, making CIRM the largest source of funding for human embryonic stem cell research in the world. For more information, please visit www.cirm.ca.gov.

 

Contact:	Melissa King
	415/396-9119