The California stem cell agency Thursday night approved $74.6 million in embryonic stem cell research grants that could have an impact on medical problems ranging from Alzheimer's to deafness.
The 29 grants that were approved were contained in the first tier of those recommended by CIRM's review committee. The funding requests were approved by the Oversight Committee in a single block on a single vote.
Robert Klein, chair of the institute, said that the funding, combined with other grants, ranks California at the top of sources for embryonic stem cell research funding in the world. By the middle of this year, the institute expects to have given away something on the order of $200 million or more to beef up ESC research.
CIRM has called a news conference for Friday morning to announce the grants, bolstered by the presence of the mayor of Los Angeles and the state's top legislative leader.
(Editor's note: An earlier version of this item said 24 grants were approved. The correct number is 29.)
Any word on the 14 remaining SEED grants?
ReplyDelete