UCLA and UC Irvine recently received a five-year $8 million grant to support clinical trials aimed at treating certain diseases using stem cells, according to a UCLA press release.
The California Institute of Regenerative Medicine awarded the grant to the UCLA Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research a part of the larger $24 million effort to create CIRM Alpha Stem Cell Clinics at UCLA, UC Irvine, the City of Hope National Medical Center and UC San Diego.
With help from the grant, UCLA plans to set up two clinical trials. Under the direction of Dr. Donald Kohn, director of the UCLA Human Gene Medicine program and professor of microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics and pediatrics, the first trial will focus on treating severe combined immunodeficiency, which causes infants to be born without immune systems. The other trial will focus on certain types of skin cancer under the direction of Dr. Antoni Ribas, associate professor of medicine and surgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine.
One of the goals of the grant is to provide funding for clinical operations and patient care coordination personnel during these trials.
Compiled by Michael Nowicki, Bruin contributor.