Stem cells

Stem cell funding has become a priority for many research institutes, organizations and even governments, if we consider the efforts being made to come up with treatments for all sorts of irrecoverable diseases. The highest sums take the way of regenerative medicine institutes that have a high commitment in the field of stem cell biological research for the development of cures and remedies that will reshape mankind’s health condition. Ethical concerns and questions have always been fired on the topic of stem cell research because of the controversy related to the embryos. Pro-lifers lead a sustained open fight against all laboratory tests during which embryos die or get discarded.

Some institutes receive more stem cell funding than others, with continuous support from the organizations interested in the development of this part of the medical science. CIRM for instance gives millions of dollars in the form of stem cell funding to Stanford’s Institute for specific projects and clinical studies conducted on a determined period of two or four years. Part of the funding goes for research in the transplantation of stem cells while others in the pioneer treatment of autoimmune diseases such as sclerosis or scleroderma. The National Institute of Health is one other financial supporter of research centers that focus on stem cell biology.

All sorts of smaller associations provide stem cell funding to research centers, and here it suffices to mention the American Cancer Society, the Diabetes Foundation or the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. These groups act on behalf and in the interest of disease-specific groups that expect solutions from the findings and achievements of stem cell therapy. Moreover, it is together with such financial supporters that clinical trials are possible in collaboration with patients declare irrecoverable. For the moment, stem cell research is going through a new phase of growth since the American president Barrack Obama raised the ban on this kind of research.

Therefore, we may expect a new wave of stem cell funding in the near future given the boost medical research centers received. How can we explain the huge sums of money necessary for research? Well, the demands and challenges of experimental science comes from the necessity of using advanced technologies. The trained personnel, the work environment, the laboratory gear and the biological material necessary for research cost a huge amount of money, and without a serious investment in this research field, development and discoveries would stagnate.