UCLA stem cell gene therapy for sickle cell disease advances toward clinical trials

This study was supported in part by a Disease Team I Award from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the state's stem cell research agency, which was created by a voter initiative in 2004. The purpose of the disease team program is to support research focused on one particular disease that leads to the filing of an investigational new drug application with the FDA within four years. The program is designed to speed translational research — research that takes scientific discoveries from the laboratory to the patient bedside. This requires new levels of collaboration between basic laboratory scientists, medical clinicians, biotechnology experts and pharmacology experts, to name a few.   Other support came from UCLA's Broad Stem Cell Research Center and Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, and from the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award.   The Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research: UCLA's stem cell center was launched in 2005 with a UCLA commitment of $20 million over five years. A $20 million gift from the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation in 2007 resulted in the renaming of the center. With more than 200 members, the Broad Stem Cell Research Center is committed to a multi-disciplinary, integrated collaboration of scientific, academic and medical disciplines for the purpose of understanding adult and human embryonic stem cells. The center supports innovation, excellence and the highest ethical ...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news