California issues first human embryonic stem cell research grants

The California state stem cell funding initiative, Proposition 71, successfully kicked off on 23 February after a delay of years, with the announcement of who will receive the first wave of research grants - totalling around $45 million (£22.5 million) - for human embryonic stem cell (ES cell) research.

The Independent Oversight Committee at the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) announced its decision to distribute the estimated $45 million among a selected 72 projects at 20 Californian institutions. The Scientific Excellence through Exploration and Development (SEED) grants are for two years, and range between $251,000 and $808,000.

The $45 million is just the initial slice of the $3 billion designated for human ES cell research over ten years by Proposition 71, the Stem Cell Research and Cures Act, which the state voters approved in November 2004. Proposition 71 established CIRM and the funding initiative but two taxpayer groups and religious organisations have tied up the project in litigation in a claim alleging that CIRM is unconstitutional. The claim was lost in April 2006 at the Alameda County Superior Court. It is currently under appeal to the state appellate court.

On the same day last summer that President Bush vetoed legislation designed to relax his ban on federal funding for human ES cell research, California State Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger mandated a state loan of $150 million, which joined a private loan for $31 million. The California Stem Cell Research and Cures Finance Committee in November 2006 approved the total $181 million loan and the programme finally broke from its stalemate. If CIRM wins its case then bond money will later be used to repay the state loan.

'We can't afford to wait when it comes to advancing life-saving science', Schwarzenegger announced at the press conference on Friday. He described the research grants as a necessary 'first step' in a 'marathon' that should not be further delayed. He further referred to the scientists conducting stem cell research as 'our newest action heroes' in working to save future lives, which diametrically opposes President Bush's viewpoint.

Stanford University won a total of 12 grants; the private non-profit Burnham Institute for Medical Research in La Jolla received eight as did UC San Francisco; UCLA won seven; UC San Diego received six and UC Irvine received a reported $3.5 million for its six grants and USC won four for a reported $3.4 million, and several other UC institutions profited as well.

The highest scored proposal was from UC San Diego and attracted $612,000 to investigate the signals responsible for 'programming' an embryonic stem cell to become a particular neuron cell in the forebrain, in hopes of discovering treatments for Alzheimer's and related diseases.

Two other rounds of funding will be announced this spring. Next month CIRM will announce 25 Comprehensive Research Grants totalling about $80 million in support of experienced stem cell researchers. The last wave of grants will be to assist shared laboratories. Last year, CIRM awarded 168 university students $12.1 million in training grants for stem cell biology.