CGS-authored
Approved by over 5.6 million people and almost 60 percent of voters, the proposition promises to create a governmental organization that will administer research funds to not-for-profit organizations intending to conduct research on human stem cells.
Stem cells have the potential to develop into many different kinds of specialized cells. Past stem cell research on animals has allowed scientists to better understand how healthy cells replace damaged cells, which is why many members of the Bay Area's medical and scientific community, such as the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, backed the initiative.
Stanford Professor of Cancer Biology Irving L. Weissman is one of the many doctors and scientists thrilled to hear that the measure was approved, since it promises to support research that could help find cures to diseases such as Alzheimer's, juvenile diabetes and Parkinson's.
The measure is designed to give $300 million annually to research institutes, such as Stanford or UCSF, that submit the most compelling applications.
These...