Patient Advocate Reviews CIRM

Perspectives on California's stem cell effort can vary widely. Here is a view from patient advocate Don Reed, who is regular attendee at CIRM meetings and an officer in the private stem cell lobbying group created by CIRM Chairman Robert Klein.

Some excerpts from a recent entry on his blog, stemcellbattles.com, entitled "A Year in the Life of the California Stem Cell Program:

"In the midst of all the economic gloom and doom, something shining has emerged in California: the beginning of a vastly better world."

"Look at the path that CIRM has laid down for cure: educating and supporting scientists, helping train their support staff, setting up loans for the companies that will risk so much to develop products for patients… this is something which should be shared, and imitated."

"It is not enough just to labor endlessly—everybody wants results. As (CIRM) President Alan Trounson puts it: 'I tell my colleagues here at CIRM probably at least once a week: 'We are in a hurry; we have a short time frame, and we need to get genuine cures to Californians.'"