California Healthcare Institute Applauds Court Decision Enabling State Funding for Stem Cell Research to Move Forward.LA JOLLA, Calif. -- The California Healthcare Institute (CHI) today applauded the removal of the final hurdle allowing California's landmark $3-billion stem cell stem cell In living organisms, an undifferentiated cell that can produce other cells that eventually make up specialized tissues and organs. There are two major types of stem cells, embryonic and adult. research initiative to move forward. The California Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal of two lower court rulings, upholding the constitutionality of Proposition 71 and clearing the way for the first of $3 billion in voter-approved bonds to be issued by July. "Today California's life sciences community, and the patients we serve, take a great step toward realizing the promise of stem cell science," said David L. Gollaher, Ph.D., CHI president and chief executive officer. "California has become the world's leading sponsor of this new science, which inspires hope for cures for disorders like diabetes, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, cancer, and spinal cord injury Spinal Cord Injury Definition Spinal cord injury is damage to the spinal cord that causes loss of sensation and motor control. Description Approximately 10,000 new spinal cord injuries (SCIs) occur each year in the United States. ." CHI was an early endorser of Proposition 71 and continues to advocate for legislation at the federal level to ease restrictions on embryonic stem cell Embryonic stem cells (ES cells) are stem cells derived from the inner cell mass of an early stage embryo known as a blastocyst. Human embryos reach the blastocyst stage 4-5 days post fertilization, at which time they consist of 50-150 cells. ES cells are pluripotent. research. "While we are confident in the state's investment in the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) was created by California's Proposition 71 (2004), which authorized it to issue $3 billion in grants, funded by bonds, over ten years for embryonic stem cell and other biomedical research. (CIRM CIRM Certified in Integrated Resource Management CIRM California Institute for Regenerative Medicine CIRM Comité International Radio-Maritime (International Radio-Medical Center) CIRM Corporate Infrastructure Resource Management ), we continue to advocate a sound national policy," Gollaher said. "If, as many scientists believe, stem cell research represents the most promising field in human life sciences, it is critically important the National Institutes of Health (NIH "Not invented here." See digispeak. NIH - The United States National Institutes of Health. ) channel its resources and expertise to advance our state of knowledge." CHI represents more than 250 leading biotechnology, medical device, diagnostics and pharmaceutical companies and public and private academic biomedical research organizations. CHI's mission is to advance responsible public policies that foster medical innovation and promote scientific discovery. CHI's Web site is www.chi.org. |
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