Researchers Discover a Way To Create Induced Tropoblast Stem Cells – Technology Networks

In vitro culture of induced trophoblast stem cells (pink) wrapping clusters of naive induced pluripotent stem cells (cyan). Credit: Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute

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An international collaboration involving Monash University and Duke-NUS researchers have made an unexpected world-first stem cell discovery that may lead to new treatments for placenta complications during pregnancy.

While it is widely known that adult skin cells can be reprogrammed into cells similar to human embryonic stem cells that can then be used to develop tissue from human organs - known as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) - the same process could not create placenta tissue.

iPSCs opened up the potential for personalised cell therapies and new opportunities for regenerative medicine, safe drug testing and toxicity assessments, however little was known about exactly how they were made.

An international team led by ARC Future Fellow Professor Jose Polo from Monash University's Biomedicine Discovery Institute and the Australian Research Medicine Institute, together with Assistant Professor Owen Rackham from Duke-NUS in Singapore, examined the molecular changes the adult skin cells went through to become iPSCs. It was during the study of this process that they discovered a new way to create induced trophoblast stem cells (iTSCs) that can be used to make placenta cells.

This exciting discovery, also involving the expertise of three first authors, Dr. Xiaodong Liu, Dr. John Ouyang and Dr. Fernando Rossello, will enable further research into new treatments for placenta complications and the measurement of drug toxicity to placenta cells, which has implications during pregnancy.

"This is really important because iPSCs cannot give rise to placenta, thus all the advances in disease modelling and cell therapy that iPSCs have brought about did not translate to the placenta," Professor Polo said.

"When I started my PhD five years ago our goal was to understand the nuts and bolts of how iPSCs are made, however along the way we also discovered how to make iTSCs," said Dr Liu.

"This discovery will provide the capacity to model human placenta in vitro and enable a pathway to future cell therapies," commented Dr Ouyang.

"This study demonstrates how by successfully combining both cutting edge experimental and computational tools, basic science leads to unexpected discoveries that can be transformative," Professor Rackham said.

Professors Polo and Rackham said many other groups from Australian and international universities contributed to the study over the years, making it a truly international endeavour.

Reference:Liu, X., Ouyang, J.F., Rossello, F.J. et al. Reprogramming roadmap reveals route to human induced trophoblast stem cells. Nature (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2734-6

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Researchers Discover a Way To Create Induced Tropoblast Stem Cells - Technology Networks

Impact of Corona on Stem Cell Therapy Market Key Manufactures and Business Overview till 2026 | Osiris Therapeutics, NuVasive, Chiesi Pharmaceuticals…

The globalStem Cell Therapy Marketis carefully researched in the report while largely concentrating on top players and their business tactics, geographical expansion, market segments, competitive landscape, manufacturing, and pricing and cost structures. Each section of the research study is specially prepared to explore key aspects of the global Stem Cell Therapy market. For instance, the market dynamics section digs deep into the drivers, restraints, trends, and opportunities of the global Stem Cell Therapy market. With qualitative and quantitative analysis, we help you with thorough and comprehensive research on the global Stem Cell Therapy market. We have also focused on SWOT, PESTLE, and Porters Five Forces analyses of the global Stem Cell Therapy market.

Leading players of the global Stem Cell Therapy market are analyzed taking into account their market share, recent developments, new product launches, partnerships, mergers or acquisitions, and markets served. We also provide an exhaustive analysis of their product portfolios to explore the products and applications they concentrate on when operating in the global Stem Cell Therapy market. Furthermore, the report offers two separate market forecasts one for the production side and another for the consumption side of the global Stem Cell Therapy market. It also provides useful recommendations for new as well as established players of the global Stem Cell Therapy market.

To know How COVID-19 Pandemic Will Impact This Market/Industry -Request sample copy of this report: https://www.reporthive.com/request_sample/2498225

Major Players:

Osiris Therapeutics NuVasive Chiesi Pharmaceuticals JCRPharmaceutical Pharmicell Medi-post Anterogen Molmed Takeda (TiGenix)

Segmentation by Product:

Autologous Allogeneic

Segmentation by Application:

Musculoskeletal Disorder Wounds & Injuries Cornea Cardiovascular Diseases Others

Regions and Countries:U.S, Canada, France, Germany, UK, Italy, Rest of Europe, India, China, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Australia, Rest of APAC, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Rest of LATAM, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, UAE.

Report Objectives

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Table of Contents

Report Overview:It includes major players of the global Stem Cell Therapy market covered in the research study, research scope, and Market segments by type, market segments by application, years considered for the research study, and objectives of the report.

Global Growth Trends:This section focuses on industry trends where market drivers and top market trends are shed light upon. It also provides growth rates of key producers operating in the global Stem Cell Therapy market. Furthermore, it offers production and capacity analysis where marketing pricing trends, capacity, production, and production value of the global Stem Cell Therapy market are discussed.

Market Share by Manufacturers:Here, the report provides details about revenue by manufacturers, production and capacity by manufacturers, price by manufacturers, expansion plans, mergers and acquisitions, and products, market entry dates, distribution, and market areas of key manufacturers.

Market Size by Type:This section concentrates on product type segments where production value market share, price, and production market share by product type are discussed.

Market Size by Application:Besides an overview of the global Stem Cell Therapy market by application, it gives a study on the consumption in the global Stem Cell Therapy market by application.

Production by Region:Here, the production value growth rate, production growth rate, import and export, and key players of each regional market are provided.

Consumption by Region:This section provides information on the consumption in each regional market studied in the report. The consumption is discussed on the basis of country, application, and product type.

Company Profiles:Almost all leading players of the global Stem Cell Therapy market are profiled in this section. The analysts have provided information about their recent developments in the global Stem Cell Therapy market, products, revenue, production, business, and company.

Market Forecast by Production:The production and production value forecasts included in this section are for the global Stem Cell Therapy market as well as for key regional markets.

Market Forecast by Consumption:The consumption and consumption value forecasts included in this section are for the global Stem Cell Therapy market as well as for key regional markets.

Value Chain and Sales Analysis:It deeply analyzes customers, distributors, sales channels, and value chain of the global Stem Cell Therapy market.

Key Findings:This section gives a quick look at important findings of the research study.

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Our research base consists of a wide spectrum of premium market research reports. Apart from comprehensive syndicated research reports, our in-house team of research analysts leverages excellent research capabilities to deliver highly customized tailor-made reports. The market entry strategies presented in our reports has helped organizations of all sizes to generate profits by making timely business decisions. The research information including market size, sales, revenue, and competitive analysis offered, is the product of our excellence in the market research domain.

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Impact of Corona on Stem Cell Therapy Market Key Manufactures and Business Overview till 2026 | Osiris Therapeutics, NuVasive, Chiesi Pharmaceuticals...

STEM CELL BANKING Market Outlook, Recent Trends and Growth Forecast 2020-2026 – The Research Process

The report on NEUROSCIENCE ANTIBODIES AND ASSAYS market is a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about NEUROSCIENCE ANTIBODIES AND ASSAYS market size. The estimates featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the NEUROSCIENCE ANTIBODIES AND ASSAYS market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.

The report provides insights on the following sections:

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As moving to the next segment NEUROSCIENCE ANTIBODIES AND ASSAYS Market report also evaluates the key opportunities in the market and outlines the factors that are and will be driving the growth of the NEUROSCIENCE ANTIBODIES AND ASSAYS industry. The major vendors in the NEUROSCIENCE ANTIBODIES AND ASSAYS market aggressively focused on enhancing their contributions to meet the business goal.

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The report also presents the market competition landscape and a corresponding detailed analysis of the major vendor/manufacturers in the market. The key manufacturers covered in this report:

Some of the Highlights about Table of Content of NEUROSCIENCE ANTIBODIES AND ASSAYS Market

1 NEUROSCIENCE ANTIBODIES AND ASSAYS Market overview

2 Executive Summary

3 Market Drivers, Challenges and Trends

4 Marketing, Distributors and Customer

5 Key Players Analysis

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STEM CELL BANKING Market Outlook, Recent Trends and Growth Forecast 2020-2026 - The Research Process

Global Animal Stem Cell Therapy Market Size, Share, Development Trend, Demand in Industry Growth Drivers and Challenges 2020-2025 – Express Journal

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Global Animal Stem Cell Therapy Market Size, Share, Development Trend, Demand in Industry Growth Drivers and Challenges 2020-2025 - Express Journal

The Top 10 Biotech Companies Brewing at… – Labiotech.eu

Here are the top biotech companies you will find in Oxford, a city with an old scientific tradition and an enormous output of biotech applications.

Oxford is well known for its university, one of the oldest in Europe and considered to be one of the best in the world. Recently, the University of Oxford has been the center of attention thanks to an experimental Covid-19 vaccine that the university is developing in partnership with big pharmaceutical companies. If successful, the vaccine, already in phase III testing, could be one of the first to get approval for this new disease.

The University of Oxford has hosted thousands of bright minds over the years. Thanks to its emphasis on technology transfer, the university has also helped a large number of them turn their ideas into successful spinout companies. The environment created around the university has also attracted many talents and businesses to the city, making it the ideal melting pot for new and promising ideas.

Biotech is one of the fortes of the innovation seen in the city of Oxford. So we consulted with local experts to put together a list of the most remarkable companies in the city, be it for their size, innovation, or influence in the sector.

Founded in 2008, Immunocore is one of just a few private biotech companies in Europe that are estimated to be worth over 1B. The company is tackling multiple forms of cancer as well as infectious and autoimmune diseases using T-cell receptor (TCR) technology. TCRs are proteins on the surface of immune T cells that are responsible for identifying a threat that must be destroyed, such as cancerous or infected cells. Immunocore aims to patients with engineered TCRs to circumvent the mechanisms by which these threats evade the immune system, restoring its ability to fight disease.

The company is collaborating on several projects with Genentech, AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, and GSK. Its most advanced program is a treatment for uveal melanoma that is currently in phase III trials. Other programs target solid tumors, hepatitis, HIV, and type 1 diabetes.

Adaptimmune Therapeutics was founded at the same time as Immunocore with the goal of exploiting TCR technology in the form of T-cell therapy. The company engineers the TCRs naturally present on the patients own immune T cells to improve their ability to identify cancerous cells.

Adaptimmune is now getting ready to start late-stage clinical trials in multiple cancer types. Thanks to a deal with Astellas Pharma, the company is also gearing up to start clinical testing of a version of its T-cell therapy that doesnt require engineering each dose individually for each patient, using donor cells instead. Adaptimmune also has several partnerships with companies including GSK, Noile-Immune Biotech, and Alpine Immune Sciences.

Oxford Biodynamics was spun out of Oxford University in 2007 with the goal of developing liquid biopsy tests that can perform a diagnosis from just a drop of blood. The company specializes in epigenetics, that is changes to the structure of our DNA that determines which genes are switched on or off.

Oxford Biodynamics works in a wide range of indications, including cancer, diabetes, Alzheimers, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis among many others. The tests are not only designed to diagnose a disease; they can also be made to determine which patients are going to benefit the most from a specific drug, and how likely the disease is to progress faster or relapse.

With these tests, the company is supporting the development of personalized medicine approaches and helping drug developers increase their chances of succeeding in clinical trials. Partners include big pharma such as Pfizer and EMD, as well as universities and research institutes.

Chronos Therapeutics started out in 2009 as a spinout of the University of Oxford with the goal of developing drugs for age-related conditions. The companys lead program targets amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the most common motor neuron disease, for which there are no treatments able to stop its progression.

Over time, the company has expanded its portfolio into other indications, particularly those that affect the brain, by acquiring assets from third parties. They include programs targeting fatigue caused by multiple sclerosis, addictive behaviors such as binge eating and alcohol use disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Evox Therapeutics is developing a drug delivery technology based on exosomes nanoparticles that our bodies naturally use to transport molecules. The company engineers exosomes to carry different types of drugs, such as proteins, RNA, or small drugs. The key advantage is that these natural carriers are able to reach targets that conventional drug delivery systems cant, such as the brain.

Founded in 2016, the company has signed big deals with Takeda and Eli Lilly. Its programs are all in preclinical testing and mostly target rare diseases. One of them targets the rare liver disorder argininosuccinic aciduria and is scheduled to enter clinical trials in 2021.

Exscientia is a pioneer in the application of artificial intelligence to drug discovery. The company uses AI to identify potential drug candidates and optimize their structure to maximize their chances of success in clinical trials. The goal is to speed up and reduce the costs of the drug discovery process.

Earlier this year, the companys drug candidate for obsessive-compulsive disorder became one of the first AI-designed drugs to enter clinical trials. While a drug typically takes five years from identification until clinical trials, this one did so in just a year.

Exscientia is partnered with Bayer, BMS, Sanofi, and GSk among others. In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, the company set out to go through a database of 15,000 approved and investigational drugs that had already passed safety testing to find candidates that can then be fast-tracked to clinical testing in Covid-19 patients.

Oxford Biomedica was set up in 1995 as a developer and provider of lentiviral vectors for gene and cell therapy. These vectors allow the permanent introduction of a desired DNA sequence into a target cell, be it in the test tube or directly in the patients body.

The technology of Oxford Biomedica is regularly used by companies such as Novartis, Sanofi, Boehringer Ingelheim, Imperial Innovations, and Orchard Therapeutics. Notably, the vectors developed by the company are used in Novartis Kymriah, the first CAR T-cell therapy approved in Europe and the US as a cancer treatment.

Oxford Biomedica also has a preclinical pipeline of proprietary programs in a wide range of applications, including cancer, eye disease, ALS, and liver disease. Last year, the company struck a deal with Microsoft to reduce the complexity and costs of gene and cell therapy manufacturing using artificial intelligence.

Founded in 2016, Arctoris aims to bring the benefits of automation to cancer research. Through the companys services, a researcher could just order an experiment online and spend their valuable time designing experiments and analyzing results rather than performing the repetitive tasks needed to complete them.

Arctoris aims to contribute to reducing the costs of drug discovery, which are increasing every year as treatments become personalized and results more difficult to replicate. In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, Arctoris has established assays that allow scientists the possibility of running Covid-19 experiments remotely.

Founded in 2015, Orbit Discovery is a drug discovery company focusing on the identification of peptide drugs. The company has developed a technology that significantly improves on conventional methods of drug screening such as phage display or mRNA display.

The technology consists of fusing peptides to the DNA sequence encoding them and presenting them to live cells. This method allows the screening of peptide targets that were previously missed by other technologies, and to study their effect on live cells to better predict their function.

The company has already identified several candidates in the areas of cardiology, immunology, and cancer, and is working with partners such as Zealand Pharma in their preclinical development.

OxStem is a drug discovery company with an unusual approach to stem cell treatments. Instead of using stem cells as a therapy, the firm focuses on developing small molecule drugs that can reprogram the patients own stem cells to treat a wide range of diseases related to aging, including cancer and diabetes as well as neurological, cardiovascular, and ocular conditions.

Founded in 2013, the strategy of OxStem is to spin out companies that specialize in each disease area to focus on the development of the drugs found by the parent company, with five subsidiaries set up so far.

Tags: Adaptimmune, Immunocore, Oxford BioMedica, United Kingdom

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LabRoots Announces Speakers to Present Cutting-Edge Research Findings at its 4th Annual Cell Biology Virtual Conference – PR Web

Cell Biology Virtual Event, September 23, 2020

YORBA LINDA, Calif. (PRWEB) September 17, 2020

LabRoots, the leading scientific social networking website offering premier, interactive virtual events and webinars, will be hosting its Cell Biology Virtual Event, scheduled on September 23, 2020. This day-long forum marks the fourth annual event that will attract innovative researchers, top scientists, biologists, and leading academia and industry from across the globe.

Emphasizing the principals and fundamentals of biology, the one-day program features four sessions encompassing Organelle Dynamics, Cell Biology of Cancer, Extra Cellular Matrices, and Exosomes convening global leaders to present their latest progress in cell research. Discussions on transformative new technologies and applications in the field will be unveiled via over 15 scientific presentations on topics such as the role of Nox-derived Reactive Oxygen Species in Axonal Growth and Guidance, the journey into discovery oncology at the crossroad of cell biology, Extracellular Matrix in Renal Development and Cancer, GeoMx Digital Spatial Profiling read-out for Next-Generation Sequencers with the Cancer Transcriptome Atlas (CTA), Extracellular Vesicles and Chronic Kidney Disease, and Beyond the Culture Flask: How Membrane- and Microfluidic-based Platforms can create more Physiologically Relevant Tissue Culture Systems, naming a few.

This years first keynote address will be given by internationally recognized Muller Fabbri, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Co-Leader Cancer Biology Program, University of Hawaii Cancer Center, explaining how MicroRNAs in Extracellular Vesicles orchestrate the biology of the Tumor Microenvironment. The programs second keynote will be delivered by Steve Caplan, PhD, Professor and Vice Chair for Administration, Dept. of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Director, UNMC Advanced Microscopy Core Facility on sorting out the mechanisms of endocytic recycling. Following, Benedetta Bussolati, Associate Professor of Nephrology, University of Torino, President of the Italian Society for Extracellular Vesicles, and internationally known for her studies of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine, will explore Extracellular vesicles in Regenerative Medicine during her keynote presentation. Lastly, the final keynote talk presented by Kenneth W. Witwer, PhD, Associate Professor, Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, John Hopkins University of School of Medicine will explore starting at the source: tissue extracellular vesicles and Alzheimers disease.

This Cell Biology event produced by Labroots includes different tracks on the most exciting approaches to understand Cell Biology, ranging from exosome/extracellular vesicles to proteomics and cancer biology, said Dr. Laura Perin, Assistant Professor at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, and Planning Committee Member. The Committee is grateful to the high caliber leaders and experts that will share insights and novel research which are fundamental in advancing the field of medicine bringing innovative avenues for the discovery of new treatments for our patient populations.

Cell Biology 2020 is committed to continuing our unique tradition of bringing the scientific community together providing the discovery, innovation, and medical advances that drive biomedical research forward, said Greg Cruikshank, Chief Executive Officer of LabRoots. For the 4th consecutive year, were delighted to showcase some of the brightest minds in cell science on the agenda, while offering cutting-edge educational content for our attendees on a global front.

The online event produced on LabRoots signature platform allows participants to learn and connect seamlessly across all desktop and mobile devices. Featuring up-to-date emerging findings from the field in the auditorium, poster and exhibit halls, and a networking lounge to foster collaborations, Cell Biology 2020 delivers an all-inclusive interactive environment. By attending this event, you can earn 1 Continuing Education credit per presentation for a maximum of 30 credits.

To register for the event and for more information, click here. Participants can follow the conversation online by using #LRcellbio.

About LabRoots LabRoots is the leading scientific social networking website, and primary source for scientific trending news and premier educational virtual events and webinars and more. Contributing to the advancement of science through content sharing capabilities, LabRoots is a powerful advocate in amplifying global networks and communities. Founded in 2008, LabRoots emphasizes digital innovation in scientific collaboration and learning. Offering more than articles and webcasts that go beyond the mundane and explore the latest discoveries in the world of science, LabRoots users can stay atop their field by gaining continuing education credits from a wide range of topics through their participation in the webinars and virtual events.

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VA researchers study effects of smoking on therapeutic stem cells – VAntage Point Blog

Many in the research community believe there is huge potential for stem cell therapy to treat a broad range of diseases. Stem cells, special human cells that can develop into many different cell types, essentially serve as a repair system for the body.

Currently, more than 5,000 clinical trials worldwide are based on therapeutic stem cells, including some at VA hospitals for illnesses ranging from cardiovascular disease to cancer.

But gaps remain in the transition of stem cell application from the research stage to patients.

One of these gaps is how a patients lifestyle choices and underlying health conditions may negatively affect stem cell therapy, says Dr. Ngan Huang, a biomedical engineer at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System in California. Given the prevalence of cigarette use and rise of electronic cigarettes, we believe this subject is an important aspect of stem cell application that remains unexplored. Not much is known about nicotine and its direct effect on therapeutic stem cells.

Huang and Dr. Alex Chan, a postdoctoral research fellow at VA Palo Alto, are studying the effects of nicotine, a highly addictive tobacco stimulant normally inhaled with cigarettes, on therapeutic stem cells. The two co-authored a review article on the effects of nicotine on stem cell therapy that appeared online earlier this year in the journal Regenerative Medicine.

There are two arms to their study. In one, Huang and Chan are injecting cells into mice that have been exposed to nicotine, as well as those that havent, with the intention of treating peripheral artery disease, which obstructs blood vessels in the arms and legs. In the other arm, the researchers will compare stem cells in smokers and non-smokers. They will see if the groups differ at producing cells that are effective at making new blood vessels.

Veterans and service members are more likely to use tobacco products than civilians, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). CDC statistics show that about 30% of Veterans used some form of a tobacco from 2010 to 2015. Tobacco use was higher among Veterans than non-Veterans for males and females across all age groups, except men ages 50 and older.

Huang and Chan are hoping to bring more awareness about the effects of smoking on stem cells to the Veteran community, as well as other types of nicotine exposure that may impact the effectiveness of stem cell therapy, such as electronic cigarettes. E-cigarettes, also known as vapes, are battery-operated devices that people use to inhale an aerosol, which typically contains nicotine, flavorings, and other chemicals that are known to harm ones respiratory system.

The effects of lifestyle and co-occurring health conditions on stem cells have been largely neglected, Chan explains. Preclinical studies of stem cell therapies have mainly been conducted in healthy animal models. This does not reflect the settings in the clinics where patients requiring stem cell therapy may have underlying diseases, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and lifestyle choices like smoking and diet.

The overall results from the study, Huang notes, may prompt researchers to take nicotine or tobacco exposure into consideration in clinical trials. As more trials take place for stem cell therapies in many applications, she says, the field will trend toward more effective therapies.

But with many unknowns, it will be years before stem cells therapies become the gold standard treatment for certain diseases, she says.

Click here to read the full story.

Click here to learn more about VA research.

Mike Richman is a writer and editor in VA Research Communications. He joined VA in 2016 after working for 15 years at the Voice of America.

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VA researchers study effects of smoking on therapeutic stem cells - VAntage Point Blog

Here’s Why Proposition 14, the $5.5 Billion Stem Cell Bond, is a Bad Idea – City Watch

LA WATCHDOG--Authorizes $5.5 billion state bonds for: stem cell and other medical research, including training; research facility construction; administrative costs.

Dedicates $1.5 billion to brain-related diseases. Appropriates General Fund moneys for repayment. Expands related programs. Fiscal Impact: Increased state costs to repay bonds estimated at about $260 million per year over the next roughly 30 years.[$7.8 billion including interest]

In 2004, Proposition 71 was approved by 59% of the voters. It established the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine to oversee stem cell research and provide funding for research and research facilities. It also amended the States Constitution to allow stem cell research. And importantly, it authorized the issuance of $3 billion in general obligation bonds to fund research, putting the State on the hook for the repayment of the bonds at an average cost of $200 million a year for 30 years. There was also the prospect of huge royalties from the commercialization of the research.

But times have changed and the need for the State and its taxpayers to spend $7.8 billion for stem cell research over the next thirty years is an expenditure we cannot afford in this age of deficits and Covid-19.

In 2004, the federal government refused to fund stem cell research because of religious objections. With the change in administrations in 2009, the federal government began to fund stem cell research, lessening, if not eliminating, the need for Californians to fund this research.

Today, there are also billions of venture capital and corporate dollars actively looking to invest in stem cell research, negating the proponents arguments that $5.5 billion is required to fund the CIRMs efforts and overhead for the next 15 years.

Furthermore, if the Legislature and Governor believe that the CIRM is a worthwhile organization, they could allocate resources to fund the operations and bureaucracy of the Institute while it looks for and identifies worthwhile investments that are funded by foundations and the private sector. This would save California over $7 billion over the next 30 years.

Another alternative would be for the CIRM to seek outside funding to fund its daily operations. Like with the State, this would also require the Institute to justify its existence and its ability to develop attractive investment opportunities.

Based on the 17,000 word (!) ballot measure, administrative costs are not to exceed to 7.5% of the $5.5 billion in bonds, or $412.5 million over the next 15 to 20 years. That implies an annual cost in the range of $20 to $30 million.

Another issue that has been raised is the lack of transparency and accountability of the CIRM, especially given the lack of legislative oversight and the many conflicts of interest on the part of many members of the governing board. These are not addressed in a meaningful way in the ballot measure.

As for royalties and the return on Californias investments, this windfall has not materialized. Since 2004, the State has received a measly $350,000, representing a return of one hundredth of 1% (0.01%).

In this time of budget deficits, the State and Californians cannot afford to spend $7.8 billion (including interest) over the next thirty years on investments which have no return, especially when there is third party money that will fund any worthwhile investment.

Save $7.8 billion and vote NO on Proposition 14.

(Jack Humphreville writes LA Watchdog for CityWatch. He is the President of the DWP Advocacy Committee and is the Budget and DWP representative for the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council. He is a Neighborhood Council Budget Advocate. He can be reached at: lajack@gmail.com.)

-cw

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Here's Why Proposition 14, the $5.5 Billion Stem Cell Bond, is a Bad Idea - City Watch