$45 Million Headed for Stem Cell Research in California
The 29-member Independent Citizens Oversight Committee (ICOC), governing board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), today approved 72 grants totaling approximately $45 million over two years, to researchers at 20 academic and non-profit research centers throughout the state. The grants were selected from among 231 applications totaling more than $138.3 million from 36 California institutions
“Today is a day for great hope. These initial grants are important because we all know that we cannot afford to wait when it comes to advancing potentially life-saving science,” said Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. “This research brings hope for an eventual end to the suffering from chronic disease – such as Alzheimer’s disease, cancer or multiple sclerosis – and promise for the people who love someone with one of these terrible illnesses.”
ICOC Chairman Robert N. Klein said, “Today marks another milestone in one of the most important public endeavors ever undertaken by California. Patients and families around the globe will take heart that human embryonic stem cell research is finally beginning to receive the funding it needs and deserves. We are grateful for the Governors leadership on this critical project, for the support of private philanthropists, and for the votes of seven million Californians who made this day possible by voting for Proposition 71.”
Scientific Excellence through Exploration and Development (SEED) Grants were intended to bring new ideas and new investigators into the field of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research, and offer an opportunity for investigators to carry out studies that may yield preliminary data or proof-of-principle results that could then be extended to full scale investigations.
“Our intent was to bring new ideas and new talent to human embryonic stem cell research and these grants do exactly that,” said Zach W. Hall, Ph.D., CIRMs President and Chief Scientific Officer. “They are going to 30 scientists who are new to the field of stem cell research and 27 who have been independent investigators for six years or less. The quality of the science that is being proposed is very high, which bodes well for the future of stem cell research in California.”
The ICOC voted to name these grants in honor of Leon J. Thal, M.D. Dr. Thal was a professor and chair of the Department of Neurosciences at the University of California, San Diego. He was one of the worlds leading experts on Alzheimers disease and a Governors appointee to the ICOC. He died earlier this month when the plane he was piloting crashed.
The ICOC originally planned to approve up to 30 grants totaling $24 million in August, 2006, following Governor Schwarzenegger’s authorization of a $150 million loan to CIRM from the state’s general fund. It is slated to approve up to another 25 for $80 million in March, for research conducted by established stem cell scientists.
“We were amazed by the large number of applications that we received. Because of their high quality it was important to increase the number of awards and the amount of money granted,” said Klein. “These projects will truly jump start stem cell research in California.”
The grants will fund a broad range of projects, including:
- An attempt to direct hESCs to generate specific types of forebrain neurons and see if they can functionally integrate into cortical circuits (UC San Diego)
- An attempt to direct hESCs to generate specific types of forebrain neurons and see if they can functionally integrate into cortical circuits (UC San Diego)
- An attempt to direct hESCs to generate specific types of forebrain neurons and see if they can functionally integrate into cortical circuits (UC San Diego)
- An examination of the role of mitochondria in hESC differentiation (UCLA)
- A study of the role of a specific gene family in guarding the genome of hESCs, drawing upon previous research with HIV and other retroviruses (Gladstone Institutes)
- An attempt to identify small molecules that target a specific signaling pathway to support self-renewal or direct differentiation of hESCs, using a chemical genetic approach (UC Riverside)
- Generation of a library of hESC lines that model a number of human genetic diseases (Burnham Institute)
- Development of cutting-edge imaging techniques to view how heart cells derived from hESCs repair and restore myocardial function (Stanford)
- A study of how mutations in mitochondria affect the stability of hESCs and their ability to grow and develop into nerve cells (UC Irvine)
The ICOC approved Leon J. Thal SEED Grants to the following researchers (Note: the dollar amounts shown are the two-year budgets requested by each applicant and are subject to review and revision by CIRM, prior to the issuance of grant awards):
| Application # | Principal Investigator | Institution | Title | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RS1-00161-1 | Blelloch, Dr. Robert Hector | University of California, San Francisco | MicroRNA Regulation of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Self-Renewal and Differentiation | $631,831 |
| RS1-00163-1 | Bredesen, Dr. Dale Eric | Buck Institute for Age Research | Programmed Cell Death Pathways Activated in Embryonic Stem Cells | $734,202 |
| RS1-00169-1 | Cashman, Dr. John R. | Human BioMolecular Research Institute | Discovering Potent Molecules with Human ESCs to Treat Heart Disease | $714,654 |
| RS1-00170-1 | Chen, Dr. Bin | University of California, Santa Cruz | In vitro differentiation of hESCs into corticospinal motor neurons | $500,000 |
| RS1-00171-1 | Chen, Dr. Huei-Sheng Vincent | Burnham Institute for Medical Research | Development of Neuro-Coupled Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Cardiac Pacemaker Cells. | $744,639 |
| RS1-00172-1 | Chen, Dr. Irvin S.Y. | University of California, Los Angeles | Genetic modification of the human genome to resist HIV-1 infection and/or disease progression | $642,652 |
| RS1-00173-1 | Chien, Professor Shu | University of California, San Diego | Combinatorial Platform for Optimizing Microenvironments to Control hESC Fate | $638,140 |
| RS1-00174-1 | Choe, Dr. Senyon | The Salk Institute for Biological Studies | A method to maintain and propagate pluripotent human ES cells | $796,348 |
| RS1-00183-1 | Cooke, Dr. John P | Stanford University | EC regeneration in cerebrovascular ischemia: role of NO | $658,125 |
| RS1-00193-1 | Duester, Dr. Gregg | Burnham Institute for Medical Research | Retinoic Acid-FGF Antagonism during Motor Neuron Differentiation of Human ES Cells | $759,000 |
| RS1-00195-1 | Emerson, Dr. Beverly M. | The Salk Institute for Biological Studies | Regulation of Specific Chromosomal Boundary Elements by CTCF Protein Complexes in Human Embryonic Stem Cells | $678,788 |
| RS1-00198-1 | Evans, Professor Sylvia M. | University of California, San Diego | Specification of Ventricular Myocyte and Pacemaker Lineages Utilizing Human Embryonic Stem Cells | $609,999 |
| RS1-00199-1 | Feldheim, Dr. David | University of California, Santa Cruz | Assessing the role of Eph/ephrin signaling in hESC growth and differentiation | $499,999 |
| RS1-00200-1 | Freeze, Dr. Hudson H. | Burnham Institute for Medical Research | Role of Glycans in Human Embryonic Stem Cell Conversion to Neural Precursor Cells | $759,000 |
| RS1-00203-1 | Galic, Dr. Zoran | University of California, Los Angeles | Genetic Enhancement of the Immune Response to Melanoma via hESC-derived T cells | $642,501 |
| RS1-00205-1 | Ghosh, Dr. Anirvan | University of California, San Diego | Generation of forebrain neurons from human embryonic stem cells | $612,075 |
| RS1-00207-1 | Giudice, Dr. Linda C. | University of California, San Francisco | Human Embryonic Stem Cell Differentiation to Trophoblast: Basic Biology and Clinical Translation to Improve Human Fertility | $640,399 |
| RS1-00210-1 | Greene, Dr. Warner C. | The J. David Gladstone Institutes | The APOBEC3 Gene Family as Guardians of Genome Stability in Human Embryonic Stem Cells | $777,467 |
| RS1-00215-1 | Guo, Dr. Su | University of California, San Francisco | Identifying small molecules that stimulate the differentiation of hESCs into dopamine-producing neurons | $564,309 |
| RS1-00222-1 | Hinton, Dr. David R | University of Southern California | Therapeutic potential of Retinal Pigment Epithelial cell lines derived from hES cells for retinal degeneration. | $684,322 |
| RS1-00225-1 | Huang, Dr. Ziwei | Burnham Institute for Medical Research | New Chemokine-Derived Therapeutics Targeting Stem Cell Migration | $759,000 |
| RS1-00228-1 | Jamieson, Dr. Catriona | University of California, San Diego | Derivation and Characterization of Cancer Stem Cells from Human ES Cells | $642,500 |
| RS1-00236-1 | Kay, Dr. Mark A | Stanford University | Novel vectors for gene transfer into human ES cells | $640,642 |
| RS1-00239-1 | Khine, Dr. Michelle | University of California, Merced | Micro Platform for Controlled Cardiac Myocyte Differentiation | $363,707 |
| RS1-00242-1 | Kovacs, Professor Gregory T. A. | Stanford University | Technology for hESC-Derived Cardiomyocyte Differentiation and Optimization of Graft-Host Integration in Adult Myocardium | $634,287 |
| RS1-00243-1 | Kuo, Dr. Calvin Jay | Stanford University | Differentiation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells to Intestinal Fates | $578,943 |
| RS1-00245-1 | Kurdistani, Dr. Siavash K | University of California, Los Angeles | Cellular epigenetic diversity as a blueprint for defining the identity and functional potential of human embryonic stem cells | $641,047 |
| RS1-00249-1 | Lawlor, Dr. Elizabeth R | Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles | hESC as tools to investigate the neural crest origin of Ewing’s sarcoma | $675,001 |
| RS1-00259-1 | Lowry, Dr. William E | University of California, Los Angeles | Modeling Human Embryonic Development with Human Embryonic Stem Cells | $571,575 |
| RS1-00262-1 | Lu, Dr. Wange | University of Southern California | Regulation of human neural progenitor cell proliferation by Ryk-mediated Wnt signaling | $668,987 |
| RS1-00271-1 | McConnell, Professor Susan K | Stanford University | Optimization of guidance response in human embryonic stem cell derived midbrain dopaminergic neurons in development and disease | $633,170 |
| RS1-00280-1 | Murre, Professor Cornelis | University of California, San Diego | Generation of long-term cultures of human hematopoietic multipotent progenitors from embryonic stem cells | $538,211 |
| RS1-00283-1 | Oshima, Dr. Robert G. | Burnham Institute for Medical Research | Trophoblast differentiation of human ES cells. | $748,240 |
| RS1-00288-1 | Pfaff, Dr. Samuel L. | The Salk Institute for Biological Studies | Gene regulatory mechanisms that control spinal neuron differentiation from hES cells. | $807,749 |
| RS1-00289-1 | Pirrung, Professor Michael C | University of California, Riverside | Stem Cell Survival and Differentiation Through Chemical Genetics | $543,987 |
| RS1-00292-1 | Ren, Bing | Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research | Mapping the transcriptional regulatory elements in the genome of hESC | $691,489 |
| RS1-00295-1 | Robey, Professor Ellen A | University of California, Berkeley | In Vitro Differentiation of T cells from Human Embryonic Stem Cells. | $499,999 |
| RS1-00298-1 | Sage, Julien | Stanford University | Functions of RB family proteins in human embryonic stem cells | $520,777 |
| RS1-00302-1 | Schultz, Professor Peter G | Scripps Research Institute | A Chemical Approach to Stem Cell Biology | $784,900 |
| RS1-00305-1 | Smotrich, Dr. David | Burnham Institute for Medical Research | Generation of hESC lines, under defined conditions, modeling normal & diseased states from material stored at the Burnham shared embryo bank. | $638,000 |
| RS1-00313-1 | Teitell, Dr. Michael Alan | University of California, Los Angeles | Role of Mitochondria in Self-Renewal Versus Differentiation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells | $635,024 |
| RS1-00317-1 | Verdin, Dr. Eric M. | The J. David Gladstone Institutes | Role of HDAC in human stem cells pluripotentiality and differentiation | $790,999 |
| RS1-00319-1 | Wandless, Professor Thomas J. | Stanford University | Reprogramming Differentiated Human Cells to a Pluripotent State | $647,681 |
| RS1-00321-1 | Weinberg, Dr. Kenneth I | Stanford University | Embryonic stem cell-derived thymic epithelial cells | $658,057 |
| RS1-00322-1 | Wu, Joseph C | Stanford University | In Vivo Imaging of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Derivatives and Tumorigenicity | $658,123 |
| RS1-00323-1 | Wysocka, Professor Joanna | Stanford University | Role of Chromatin Modifiers in Regulating Human Embryonic Stem Cell Pluripotency | $658,126 |
| RS1-00326-1 | Yang, Dr. Phillip Chung-Ming | Stanford University | In Vivo Molecular Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Human Embryonic Stem Cells in Murine Model of Myocardial Infarction | $658,125 |
| RS1-00327-1 | Ying, Dr. Qilong | University of Southern California | Self-renewal of human embryonic stem cells | $663,209 |
| RS1-00331-1 | Zhang, Dr. Zhuohua | Burnham Institute for Medical Research | Modeling Parkinson’s Disease Using Human Embryonic Stem Cells | $758,999 |
| RS1-00333-1 | Zheng, Dr. Binhai | University of California, San Diego | Genetic manipulation of human embryonic stem cells and its application in studying CNS development and repair | $642,361 |
| RS1-00365-1 | Bertozzi, Professor Carolyn Ruth | University of California, Berkeley | Profiling surface glycans and glycoprotein expression of human embryonic stem cells | $498,409 |
| RS1-00377-1 | Cummings, Dr. Brian John | University of California, Irvine | The Immunological Niche: Effect of immunosuppressant drugs on stem cell proliferation, gene expression, and differentiation in a model of spinal cord injury. | $619,223 |
| RS1-00381-1 | Daldrup-Link, Dr. Heike E. | University of California, San Francisco | Labeling of human embryonic stem cells with iron oxide nanoparticles and fluorescent dyes for a non-invasive cell depiction with MR imaging and optical imaging | $251,088 |
| RS1-00402-1 | Kasahara, Dr. Noriyuki | University of California, Los Angeles | Down-Regulation of Alloreactive Immune Responses to hES Cell-Derived Graft Tissues | $469,219 |
| RS1-00404-1 | Kim, Dr. Seung K. | Stanford University | Patient-specific cells with nuclear transfer | $656,074 |
| RS1-00408-1 | Laird, Professor Peter William | University of Southern California | Screening for Oncogenic Epigenetic Alterations in Human ES Cells | $685,000 |
| RS1-00409-1 | Lane, Dr. Thomas Edward | University of California, Irvine | Human Embryonic Stem Cells and Remyelination in a Viral Model of Demyelination | $425,594 |
| RS1-00413-1 | Limoli, Professor Charles L. | University of California, Irvine | Using human embryonic stem cells to treat radiation-induced stem cell loss: Benefits vs cancer risk | $625,617 |
| RS1-00416-1 | MacGregor, Dr. Grant R | University of California, Irvine | Production of Oocytes from Human ES Cells | $623,781 |
| RS1-00420-1 | Mikkola, Dr. Hanna | University of California, Los Angeles | Improving microenvironments to promote hematopoietic stem cell development from human embryonic stem cells | $577,037 |
| RS1-00428-1 | O’Connor, Dr. Timothy R. | City of Hope National Medical Center | Sources of Genetic Instability in Human Embryonic Stem Cells. | $357,978 |
| RS1-00432-1 | Procaccio, Dr. Vincent | University of California, Irvine | Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Embryonic Stem Cells | $632,500 |
| RS1-00434-1 | Ramalho-Santos, Miguel | University of California, San Francisco | Transcriptional Regulation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells | $618,901 |
| RS1-00444-1 | Tlsty, Dr. Thea D. | University of California, San Francisco | Role of the tumor suppressor gene, p16INK4a, in regulating stem cell phenotypes in embryonic stem cells and human epithelial cells. | $639,150 |
| RS1-00449-1 | Weaver, Dr. Valerie Marie | University of California, San Francisco | Force, Dimensionality and Stem Cell Fate | $561,082 |
| RS1-00452-1 | Willenbring, Dr. Holger | University of California, San Francisco | Induction of pluripotency in fibroblasts by fusion with enucleated human embryonic stem cell syncytia | $342,962 |
| RS1-00453-1 | Yamoah, Ebenezer N. | University of California, Davis | Hair Cells and Spiral Ganglion Neuron Differentiation from Human Embryonic Stem Cells | $469,327 |
| RS1-00455-1 | Yokomori, Kyoko | University of California, Irvine | Derivation and characterization of human ES cells from FSHD embryos | $632,500 |
| RS1-00462-1 | Gao, Dr. Fen-Biao | The J. David Gladstone Institutes | MicroRNAs in Human Stem Cell Differentiation and Mental Disorders | $791,000 |
| RS1-00464-1 | Reddi, Professor Hari A | University of California, Davis | hESCs for Articular Cartilage Regeneration | $367,650 |
| RS1-00466-1 | Terskikh, Dr. Alexey | Burnham Institute for Medical Research | Analysis of Candidate Neural Crest Cells Derived from Human ES Cells | $759,000 |
| RS1-00477-1 | Sauer, Dr. Frank Uwe | University of California, Riverside | Non-coding RNA as tool for the active control of stem cell differentiation | $595,469 |
Total $44,839,926
About CIRM
Governed by the ICOC, the CIRM was established in 2004 with the passage of Proposition 71, the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative. The statewide ballot measure, which provided $3 billion in funding for stem cell research at California universities and research institutions, was approved by California 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. The CIRM is the largest source of funding for human embryonic stem cell research in the world. For more information, please visit www.cirm.ca.gov.
Contact: Dale A. Carlson
415/396-9117