Partnership to advance stem-cell research
22 February 2003
The Wellcome Trust has teamed up with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) in a £6 million effort to promote the UK's contribution to stem-cell research. This line of research looks likely to deliver breakthroughs in treatments for chronic diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson's, cancer, arthritis and lupus. The JDRF and the Wellcome Trust will each provide £3 million over five years and work together to promote and fund this important area of biomedical research.
Grants will be made for work on the development of stem-cell lines and the practical application of those lines towards cell therapies. In particular, applications are sought for work that has a direct relevance to diabetes, such as the development of insulin-producing glucose-responsive cell lines, which could be potential material for transplant therapy for diabetics.
Type 1 or juvenile diabetes currently affects 350 000 people in the UK. It strikes suddenly and carries the constant threat of devastating complications. Children with this type of diabetes must test their blood at least six times every day and are dependent on insulin injections to stay alive. However, insulin does not stop the long-term effects of diabetes, which include blindness, kidney disease, limb amputations, strokes and heart disease.
The UK already has one of the best environments in the world for undertaking stem-cell research and has led the international community in providing a regulatory framework in this area. With this new partnership, the Wellcome Trust and JDRF hope to enable stem-cell research to flourish and ultimately improve the health of hundreds of thousands of people whose daily lives are affected by diabetes and other chronic illnesses.
See also
- Top charities pledge to advance stem-cell research (Press release: 22 February 2003)