INNOVATORS
Without the innovators, companies and scientists that carry out stem cell research, none of the amazing discoveries and treatments of stem cell therapy would ever be possible. These institutions strive to develop products to improve patient health and transform the regenerative medicine industry. Click on the names or the pictures to learn more about these innovators.
PUBLIC ORGANIZATIONS
The ISSCR is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated "to promote and foster the exchange and dissemination of information and ideas relating to stem cells, to encourage the general field of research involving stem cells and to promote professional and public education in all areas of stem cell research and application." It was founded in 2002 and now has over 40,000 members from all areas of the globe. At its annual meeting, more than 3,500 scientists and other professionals come together to present and discuss the latest stem cell discoveries.
The NIH is America's medical research agency and is part of the US Depeartment of Health and Human Services. It hopes "to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability." It is funded by the government and its 27 different institutes conduct research on all different topics of healthcare, including stem cell therapies. The NIH uses most of its budget to give grants to universities and other research centers across the nation.
The CIRM is California's premier stem cell agency. It was created in 2004, when Californian voters passed Proposition 71, the Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative. Its mission is "to support and advance stem cell research and regenerative medicine under the highest ethical and medical standards for the discovery and development of cures, therapies, diagnostics and research technologies to relieve human suffering from chronic disease and illness." The CIRM monitors and funds stem cell research throughout the state.
The CiRA strives "to serve as the world-first core institute dedicated to leading iPS cell research" and "to pursue the possibilites of iPS cells through both fundamental and applied research with the goal of contributing to the development of regenerative medicine." Located in Kyoto, Japan, the CiRA focuses on induced pluripotent stem cell research. Its director, the Nobel Prize-winning Shinya Yamanaka, was the first scientist to discover IPSCs. Since it was founded in 2010, the CiRA has successfully modeled some diseases using IPSCs, such as muscular dystrophy. It is continuing to do research on diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's using IPSC technology.
The Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, part of the University of Cambridge in England, works to "explore and define the properties of stem cells in order to establish their true medical potential." Their scientists, technicians and doctors work together to develop new treatments in stem cell biology. In addition, the institute trains young researchers to create the next generation of stem cell scientists.
The HSCI branches out to the university, hospitals and several nearby institutions to form one of the largest communities of biomedical researchers in the nation. The HSCI wants to "use stem cells to understand and treat disease through discovery and development of new drugs and replacement of diseased cells and organs and develop the field of regenerative medicine by educating the next generation of scientists." It has many programs dedicated to educate the community and students about stem cell research and it is currently focusing on using stem cells to treat disease, especially ALS.
The Stanford Institute was founded in 2002 under the direction of Dr. Irving Weissman. As part of the Stanford School of Medicine, it works closely with the university, hospitals and other companies to foster stem cell research. Its mission is to explore how stem cells work and "translate this knowledge into dramatic new medical therapies for some of the world’s most serious and intractable afflictions." It was the first organization to isolate stem cells in 1980, and continues to pioneer stem cell research. The institution was also the first to identify brain and certain types of cancer stem cells. Its innovative microarray technology has also helped scientists in their stem cell research.
The SCRMC is dedicated to "advancing the science of stem cell biology and foster breakthroughs in regenerative medicine through faculty interactions, research support and education." It is one of the world leaders in stem cell research, as the first to successfully culture primate and human embryonic stem cells. It is a central part of the University of Wisconsin-Madison's research program, and is supported by the School of Medicine and Public Health, the Graduate School and the College of Engineering.
The UC Davis Institute is an advanced, new $62 million facility focused on team-oriented science to develop stem cell therapies and treatments. It is near many state-of-the-art organizations with which it can work together to research stem cell cures. It has one of the nation's largest GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) facilities, and an innovative system in conducting research. It integrates its doctors and scientists into stem cell disease teams, where the professionals can collaborate on research and solutions.
PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS
The nonprofit Gladstone Institutions in San Francisco, CA aspire "to use visionary science and technology to overcome major unsolved diseases." Their staff of over 300 scientists work closely with the nearby UCSF to develop treatments for cardiovascular diseases, HIV/AIDS and neurological conditions. They have earned many awards for their research, and in 2012, one of their senior investigators, Dr. Shinya Yamanaka, won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his pioneering work with IPSCs.
BioTime is a biotechnology company located in Alameda, CA, dedicated to biomedical research and developing products related to regenerative medicine. It has several subsidary companies located around the world, and is mostly focused on therapies for age-related degenerative disease. Currently it is developing products for macular degeneration, cancer, arthritis and cell delivery, like OpRegen® and Renevia™. Its only FDA-approved product on the market in the US and South Korea is Hextend®, a blood plasma expander.
Cellular Dynamics International is a private company that develops and manufactures human cells. It has patented many of its products, including the iCell line that consists of different kinds of functioning human cells and iPSCs. Its products allow other scientific and medical institutions to conduct research on human cells, like drug testing and disease modeling. Its staff consists of many experienced professionals, with over 550 years of combined expertise in stem cell research.
Stem Cells, Inc. is a private research company primarily focused on CNS (central nervous system) stem cell therapy. They are pioneering the field of neural stem cell research. Their mission "is to address unmet medical needs through the use of novel cell-based therapeutics that hold the promise of better treatments and cures." Currently it is developing its HuCNS-SC® (purified human neural stem cells) to treat spinal cord injuries, Alzheimer's, strokes and retinal, myelin and lysosomal storage disorders. They are doing clinical studies with many new products, and have over 250 US and international patents combined.
Ocata Therapeutics, formerly Advanced Cell Technology, is a clinical stage biotechnology company located in Massachussetts dedicated to the research and development of regenerative medicine. It mostly focuses on its Regenerative Ophthalmology™ programs, which involve the treatment of eye diseases and disorders. Currently, it is running clinical trials of several stem-cell related therapies, including ones for Stargardt's macular dystrophy, dry age-related macular degeneration and myopic macular degeneration. Its other programs include neuroprotective biologics, blood components and mesenchymal stem cells that treat autoimmune, inflammatory and wound healing disorders.
Learn about the impacts of stem cells here