The goal of the consortium is to create a hub for innovation that propels stem cell science from the laboratory to the bedside, said Clive Svendsen, PhD, executive director of the Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute.
Newswise — LOS ANGELES (Oct. 2, 2023) -- Cedars-Sinai investigators have joined with colleagues from seven regenerative medicine institutes in the Los Angeles region to form a new consortium that will share resources and maximize the impact of funding from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM).
“The goal of this consortium is to create a hub for innovation that propels stem cell science from the laboratory to the bedside,” said Clive Svendsen, PhD, executive director of the Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute and the Kerry and Simone Vickar Family Foundation Distinguished Chair in Regenerative Medicine, who initiated this new collaboration.
Regenerative medicine uses both gene therapy and stem cell technologies to regenerate tissues within the body to potentially treat a number of diseases, including some that have previously been deemed incurable.
More than 100 people, including the directors of major stem cell institutions, attended a recent three-day summit. The organizations agreed to work collaboratively to accelerate novel regenerative medicine therapies.
Summit attendees also included leaders of CIRM, which was created through a voter-approved ballot measure signed into law in 2004. CIRM distributes funding for regenerative medicine-related studies.
The group discussed collaborating on stem cell and gene therapy manufacturing programs, educational courses, core services to support the science, scientific innovations, and new regenerative medicine clinical trials.
The following CIRM-funded organizations are part of the new stem cell consortium:
- Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute
- University of California, Santa Barbara, Center for Stem Cell Biology and Engineering
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at the University of Southern California
- University of California, Riverside, Stem Cell Center
- University of California, Irvine, Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center
- UCLA Broad Stem Cell Research Center
- City of Hope
- California Institute of Technology
Representatives from these partnering organizations plan to convene annually to discuss collaborative projects and accelerate regenerative medicine projects in California.
“The consortium is a testament to the importance of regenerative medicine to the field of medicine, as a whole,” said Shlomo Melmed, MB, ChB, executive vice president of Academic Affairs, dean of the Medical Faculty, and the Helene A. and Philip E. Hixon Distinguished Chair in Investigative Medicine at Cedars-Sinai. “Initiating this consortium is also a reflection of the care with which we steward critical funds from generous grantors like CIRM.”
Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: Treating Diseases with Stem Cells
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