Cost-saving Stem Cell Cuts Puzzle California Scientists

Jeanne Loring, the head of the Scripps stem cell program, reflected last week on the move by the $3 billion California stem cell agency to scuttle a program that she and other scientists believe is critical to the research effort.

Writing on ipscell.com, she discussed the effort to save the “shared” labs program at 17 institutions around the state. Continuation of the program was axed by directors last week in a cost-saving move. The agency is down to its last $600 million or so, and the governing board was feeling the pressure last week of having to deal with competing interests.

The board has 29 members, but only six in attendance could vote on the program because of the board's longstanding conflict-of-interest problems. Four approved the recommendation by CIRM staff and its Scientific Advisory Board to halt the lab program. That was all it took – the votes of four directors out of 29.

Loring and 11 other scientists attended last week's board meeting in an unsuccessful effort to the save the labs. She later wrote,

“We are back home now, but still puzzled about why CIRM would destroy one of its most successful programs.  The irony is that the board would like to continue to support training.  The training is done in the shared labs.  There are no more courses without the shared labs. 

“We aren’t giving up; we’re just taking some time to think.  Meanwhile, the positive side:  we did an amazing thing:  we are normally very competitive with each other, but on Wednesday we came together from all over California to support a single cause that is dear to our hearts.  That will remain a high point for me, even though I also feel a profound sense of loss.”

Stem Cell Lab Program Nixed in California

Directors of the California stem cell agency today eliminated future funding for a $72 million "shared" labs program that supporters said was a key to successful stem cell research in the Golden State.

The action came on a 4-0 vote with two abstentions following a presentation by 20 stem cell scientists that the labs were vital to research and needed for the training of scientists. Jeanne Loring, head of the Scripps stem cell program, told the board today that the labs have evolved to become the place "where all of the research for CIRM takes place." She later said in an email that each lab is currently receiving only $200,000 a year.

The agency's Scientific Advisory Board recommended no further funding of the labs, saying their original justification was no longer "compelling." CIRM staff agreed, saying alternatives to shared labs were available.

CIRM President Alan Trounson said the agency had a finite number of dollars and "sometimes we have to cut off some these things." He said that the labs are "probably not as important as some other things" and that the labs are a "luxury."

The labs have another six to 12 months of remaining funding. Steve Juelsgaard, a CIRM board member, said the labs should have been planning for a loss of funding from the agency.

Only seven of the 29 members of the agency governing board could participate in the discussion or vote because of conflicts of interest. One of the seven was absent from the meeting. The other members of the board are tied to institutions that operate shared labs.

The program was begun in 2007 and has been funded to the tune of $72 million since then. Loring later said in an email to the California Stem Cell Report,

"You should mention that each of the shared labs was getting $200,000 a year…that's it. That's what they decided to cut.  We have leveraged that money 10-fold from NIH, but NIH will not support cores directly."

(Loring's comments in her email were added following publication of the original version of this story.)

California Stem Cell Researchers Fight for Shared Labs

Twenty California stem cell scientists are seeking to save the state's heralded, $72 million “shared” stem cell lab program, arguing that it is vital to research and necessary for the continued training of scientists.

The researchers made their appeal in a letter (full text below) expected to be presented tomorrow to the governing board of the $3 billion stem cell agency, which funds the effort. The agency's new Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) has recommended the program be discontinued and more emphasis placed on a handful of clinically oriented projects.

In a very brief recommendation that has been accepted by CIRM staff,  the advisory board said that “the importance of these resources to the mission of CIRM and achieving sustainability of earlier investments is not as compelling (as when the program began).

The SAB continued,

“These resources should operate on a revenue-neutral basis through recharge mechanisms and gain other needed support from the host institutions.” 

The lab program began as a $50.5 million effort in 2007 and was given an additional $21.5 million in 2011 after CIRM staff cited its "exceptional" performance. Former CIRM Chairman Robert Klein praised the effort, citing its ability to leverage funding. He said,

“The $4 million awarded, for example, to Stanford for its shared lab have enabled its scientists to successfully compete for $35 million of grants from numerous sources, with another $15 million in process.”

Responding to the SAB recommendation, supporters of the labs said that without them, “development of protocols for generation of clinically needed cell types will not be possible.” Their letter said the 17 labs have been “vital to current and future CIRM-funded efforts.” There is “no alternative place' for the type of research underway at the labs, said the scientists.

The researchers signing the letter were from institutions throughout the state, including UCSF, Stanford, UC Berkeley, USC, UCLA, Salk, Scripps, Sanford Burnham, UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara.

The letter, which was made available to the California Stem Cell Report,  said,

“In the worst case scenario, the loss of indirect cost support to the institutions will mean that the core lab space will be reallocated (a certainty for many independent research institutes), effectively dismantling the Shared Laboratories and putting CIRM equipment into storage. Shared Laboratory personnel provide support not only for the millions of dollars of CIRM purchased equipment, but often also the additional equipment that has been funded by other sources as a result of the CIRM infrastructure investment but often also the additional equipment that has been funded by other sources.... 

“Even in the best cases, there will be no means to support the staff and maintain the equipment. Some institutions may be able to provide space without indirect costs, but will not fund personnel and equipment maintenance. Thus, the original CIRM investment in infrastructure will be lost, and CIRM’s highly successful training programs for new workers (CIRM Bridges and Training Grants), will be left without homes.”

Here is the full text of the letter and a summary of survey of activity at the shared labs.

California Scientists Back Endangered Stem Cell Lab Program

Survey on California's Shared Stem Cell Lab Program posted by DavidJensen