California Institute of Regenerative Medicine Awards Nearly $8 Million to UCSF for the Clinics
Oakland, CA (December 11, 2017) – The UCSF alpha stem cell clinic will soon be enrolling patients in new cellular therapy clinical trials designed to enhance access to innovative stem cell therapies. The expansion of the alpha stem cell clinics was made possible by a major grant from the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). The funding provides infrastructure to accelerate and expand cellular therapy trials over the next 4 years.
The new UCSF alpha cell clinic is the first such center in the Bay Area, and it will expand the opportunity for patients to receive cellular therapies that have curative potential, especially in under-represented populations and rare diseases. This UCSF alpha clinic will expand stem-cell clinical trials in sickle cell disease, thalassemia and in treating disorders of the lung caused by inflammation that accompany trauma and infection.
“Our focus on hereditary blood and immune disorders in children at the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals will complement other trials currently active in the established CIRM alpha clinic network, said Dr. Mark Walters, Program Director of UCSF Benioff Oakland’s Blood & Marrow Transplantation (BMT) program. “It will also enable us to bring cutting-edge cellular therapies to the clinic in a shorter period of time.”
CIRM’s alpha stem cell clinics are a network of leading California medical centers that conduct high quality stem cell trials in multiple disease areas for patients with unmet medical needs. The two UCSF locations, along with a new site at UC Davis, join existing alpha cell clinics at the City of Hope, UC San Diego, and a joint clinic between UC Los Angeles and UC Irvine.
“Expanding our network will allow more patients to participate in stem cell trials and will advance the development of stem cell treatments that could help or possibly cure patients,” said Abla Creasey, Ph.D., CIRM’s Senior Director of Strategic Clinical, Regulatory, and Infrastructure Programs.
About UCSF Health
UCSF Health includes UCSF Medical Center, which is ranked among the top five hospitals nationwide, as well as UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals (in San Francisco and Oakland) and additional affiliates throughout the Bay Area. Recognized for innovative treatments, advanced technology, collaboration among health care professionals and scientists, and a highly compassionate patient care team, these hospitals serve as the academic medical center of the University of California, San Francisco, which is world-renowned for its biomedical research and graduate-level education. UCSF Health’s nationally preeminent programs include cancer, children's health, the brain and nervous system, organ transplantation, and women's health.
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Contact: Melinda Krigel
Communications Director
UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland
510-428-3069, 510-388-5927 (cell)
[email protected]
