NEW YORK CITY--The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF)
applauds the announcement today by Dr. Francis Collins,
Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that
13 new stem cell lines have been approved for federal
research support. These are the first stem cell lines to
be approved for federal funding since President George
W. Bush issued an executive order on August 9, 2001 that
limited federal research support to a small number of
lines that were made before that date. Hundreds of stem
cell lines have
been created since then, but have been ineligible for
NIH funding.
Of the 13 lines that were approved, two were made by New
York scientists at Rockefeller University, Dr. Ali
Brivanlou and Dr. Scott Noggle. Dr. Noggle is now the
Director of the Stem Cell Laboratory
at the New York Stem Cell Foundation. Dr. Noggle said,
“It is
gratifying to know that the lines we made at Rockefeller
University can now be used by NIH-funded researchers
across the country to develop therapies for a wide
variety of diseases.”
“NYSCF welcomes the announcement of NIH approval of
these new lines, which will accelerate stem cell
research in New York and elsewhere”, said Susan Solomon,
CEO of NYSCF. “NYSCF will continue to support research
on these lines and others, including
some that cannot be supported by NIH.”
“We welcome this first step in what we hope will be a
continuing series of NIH approvals of the many stem cell
lines that have been made and will be made,” said Dr.
Zach Hall, NYSCF Board Member and former president of
the California stem cell agency. “Because
the NIH cannot fund the creation of new lines, but only
research on lines made by others, the role of NYSCF and
other private and state sources of funding will continue
to be critical.”
About The New York Stem Cell Foundation:
Founded in 2005, The New York Stem Cell Foundation is
dedicated to furthering stem cell research to advance
the search for cures of the major diseases of our time.
NYSCF opened
the first privately funded stem cell laboratory in New
York City in March 2006 to serve as a “safe haven” where
scientists can conduct advanced stem cell research free
of federal restrictions. The organization supports
scientists engaged in stem cell research through grants,
fellowships and symposia; runs collaborative,
state-of-the-art research facilities directly focused on
curing disease; and educates the public about the
importance and potential benefits of stem cell research.
For more information, visit
www.nyscf.org.