Wellcome Trust and MRC invest £8m in Stem Cell Institute
To be based at Cambridge University, uniting 30 research teams
The Wellcome Trust and the Medical Research Council, two of the UK’s largest funders of medical research, are to invest £8m in a new stem cell research centre.
The facility will be based at Cambridge University and called Wellcome Trust-Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute.
The Institute will build on existing investment by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Wellcome Trust, uniting 30 leading research teams with expertise across the three main types of stem cell: embryonic, adult and induced pluripotent cells. Research scientists will work alongside technology specialists and doctors to develop new therapeutic approaches and this will be underpinned by stem cell biology.
The Institute will eventually be housed in a purpose-built 8,000m2 facility to be built on the Cambridge Biomedical Research Campus.
Key areas of research will include pluripotency, haematopoiesis, epithelial tissues, and neural and cardiovascular stem cells.
Professor Austin Smith, director of the new Wellcome Trust-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, said: ‘Our aim is to close the knowledge gap and drive stem cell research forward towards clinical applications. The world-class facilities will attract the best international talent from the fields of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine to pursue this goal.’
Professor Sir John Savill, chief executive of the MRC, added: ‘By joining forces with the Wellcome Trust to invest strategically in all areas of stem cell science, embracing both adult and embryonic stem cells, we will create a competitive and attractive environment for future commercial investment in regenerative medicine.’
Stem cells are an invaluable tool for scientists studying the mechanisms of human disease and could be used as an alternative to animal models by pharmaceutical companies developing new drugs.
They also show great promise as potential treatments for conditions including liver disease, diabetes, blindness and spinal cord injury and neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease.
