$8 million grant expands access to UCI stem cell clinical trials

IN THE NEWS: An $8 million grant and designation as one of the state's network of stem cell therapy clinics is enabling UC Irvine to expand patient access to gene and stem cell clinical trials, clinic director Dr. Daniela Bota tells KFI-AM 640 radio.

On Oct. 27, 2022, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine designated the UCI Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center as a site for one of CIRM’s Alpha Clinics, providing $8 million to expand its current clinical trials efforts and to lead a collaboration of health system partners to bring regenerative treatments to underserved communities in Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties.

Bota, the UCI School of Medicine’s vice dean for clinical research and principal investigator for the CIRM grant, tells KFI-AM the goal is to bring even more gene therapies to clinical trials in addition to the 60 already underway for conditions ranging from muscle disorders, diabetes, stroke, brain tumors and multiple types of cancer.

Learn more:

• KFI-AM 640: UCI receives $8 million grant to expand access to promising gene therapies ›
• Spectrum News 1: UCI receives $8 million from state stem cell research agency ›