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Overview

Stem cell research has the potential to revolutionize the treatment of many human diseases. Diagnostics, cell replacement and protection, drug discovery, tissue engineering, non-invasive imaging, and many other approaches to disease diagnosis and clinical management are likely to be transformed by research in this area.

The Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine research program goals are, consistent with those of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), to invent research tools and technologies to hasten the pace of stem cell research progress and to discover and develop diagnostics, therapies and cures to relieve human suffering from chronic disease and injury.

Researchers at the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine have broad scientific goals in basic and preclinical research, as well as preclinical development of discoveries. Focus areas have been selected based on the strengths and experience of our senior stem cell leaders, including Larry Goldstein, Fred “Rusty” Gage, Evan Snyder and Martin Friedlander. Our programs are closely integrated, however, as our researchers understand the virtue of the strong scientific community and its demonstrably successful traditions of integrative collaboration. Multi-disciplinary collaborations will also help develop next-generation tools and instrumentation that can enhance stem cell knowledge, help develop therapies and track the efficacy of treatments.

The Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine’s basic research program is targeted to understand the fundamental biology of stem cells and pluripotency, and consists of five research areas:

The preclinical research program at the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine builds on the outcomes of its basic research program and includes investigations directed to the development of diagnostics and therapies. Preclinical research falls into seven major areas:

The focus of the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine preclinical development program is to move stem cell-based diagnostics and therapies into preclinical development and clinical research in six major areas:

In addition, the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine will launch a comprehensive outreach program intended to not only train the next generation of collaborative, multi-disciplinary scientists but also to engage the community in a dialogue about the ethics of research and endeavor to inform and educate the public about our scientific and medical progress and aspirations.