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Epicenter for stem cell research

EPICENTER FOR STEM CELL RESEARCH

Scientists at UC Irvine have long been pioneers in the fields of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. The Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center has become an epicenter for stem cell research on Campus and is recognized as one of the leading stem cell research centers in California. Methods developed at UC Irvine using human embryonic stem cells to treat spinal cord injury will likely be used in the first stem cell-based clinical trial in the U.S. From basic research to translational research, scientists at the university are carrying out groundbreaking work to better understand stem cells and how they can be used to treat human diseases and disorders. This work, which has been recognized by funding from a multitude of sources including the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine, the National Institutes of Health and by private philanthropy, will likely revolutionize the way medicine is practiced in the future.

A picture showing human embryonic stem growing in culture. The green stain identifies a protein of the surface of the stem cells and the red stain identifies a protein in the nuclei of the stem cells. Cells that have lost the green and red stains represent stem cells that have begun to differentiate in the culture dish and have begun to make specialized cells. It is the ability of these stem cells to make specialized cells that makes them such an important resource for treating human diseases and disorders. Picture courtesy of Christina Tu (Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center)

A group of human embryonic stem cells growing in the laboratory. The stem cells grow on top of other cells that support them and provide them with nutrients. In this picture the nuclei of all the cells are stained in blue. The stem cells are also stained with a green stain that can be used to distinguish them from the other cells. Picture courtesy of Christina Tu (Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center)