The Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology (MCDB) at UC Santa Barbara is comprised of approximately 25 research groups with interests ranging from the structure and function of biological macromolecules to the fundamental processes used in cellular function and the integration of these processes during microbe, plant, and animal development. Research in MCDB is at the forefront of basic molecular biology, contributing to the exciting revolution in biology brought about by the sequencing of entire genomes, powerful new computers and microscopes, and interdisciplinary approaches that combine biology, nanotechnology and bioengineering. Research in the areas of microbiology, neurobiology, stem cell biology, cancer biology, genetics, cell biology, marine biology, bodefense, and development is aimed at understanding the mysteries of how molecules combine to form living cells, and how dysfunction results in disease. - (Read more)

The mission of the Yale Stem Cell Center is to advance our understanding of stem cell biology and to harness its potential to improve human health.

Stem cell biology encompasses many important scientific inquiries from the control of asymmetric vs. symmetric cell division to cell fate determination. Today's basic discoveries using a variety of adult, embryonic, and fetal stem cells are forming the foundation for revolutionary changes in medicine using cell therapy. Stem cells represent a promising avenue for therapy for degenerative disorders, and they are changing the paradigms for the origins of and treatments for cancer.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota Stem Cell Institute seek the treatments that will make a difference in quality of life for patients suffering from such diseases as Parkinson's, diabetes, heart disease, muscular dystrophy, and more.

In recognition of the seemingly unlimited potential of stem cells in the treatment of human and animal diseases, the University of Minnesota has made a significant capital investment of about $15 million in the Stem Cell Institute.

"Stem cell research, and regenerative medicine generally, will have as much impact on our lives in the 21st century as did motor cars, antibiotics, and computers in the 20th." - Jonathan Slack, Director

The Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute at the University of Miami was established to capitalize on pioneering work in the use of adult stem cells for the repair of malfunctioning human organs. The goal of the Institute is to find new treatments for heart disease, neurological disease, bone disease, diabetes, cancer, eye diseases and other chronic, debilitating, or incurable diseases. University of Miami scientists have led in the development of procedures to extract adult stem cells from bone marrow, and have conducted ground breaking research in cell-based therapy for the diseased human heart. This type of procedure can be adapted for other diseased tissues, such as liver, lung, spinal cord disease, bone disease, and diabetes. The end result of stem cell therapy is a cure for diseases that have as yet defied conventional therapies.

Our methods are ethical, rigorous, and straightforward. We are committed to meticulous, innovative and interdisciplinary research. We work in collaboration with partners in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device industries to ensure that our results translate smoothly and safely from the laboratory to the clinic. - (Read more)

The Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences celebrates its tenth anniversary this year since its establishment in 1998. The research in this institute widely encompasses basic biology of regenerative medicine including stem cell biology to tissue engineering. These ten years have witnessed enormous scientific success of the institute, as illustrated, for example, by the invention of induced pluripotent stem cells and the establishiment of human embryonic stem cells. We have made efforts to facilitate our basic and applied research on regenerative medicine by constructing a new animal facility, establishing the Stem Cell Research Center and Cell Processing Center, and reorganizing the structure of the institute to newly establish the Research Center for Nano Medical Engineering. This institute has also contributed to several campus-wide educational programs together with the School of Medicine and the School of Engineering for nurturing the next generation of scientists in regenerative medicine. I hope that next ten years will witness another success of this institute.

Shimon Sakaguchi,M.D.,Ph.D
Director
Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences
Kyoto University  - (Read more)

The Tulane Center for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine was formed in July of 2000.The major aim of the Center is to develop new therapies for a series of common diseases that include osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, Parkinsonism, spinal cord injury, stroke, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. The primary strategy of the Center is to use adult stem cells that can easily be obtained from a patient and then used for therapy of the same patient. The Center also provides educational programs for career development, job training and life-long learning of citizens; establish a forum to evaluate the social, legal and ethical implications of gene therapy; and develop commercial applications of gene therapy with an emphasis on commercial developments within the State of Louisiana.

The therapies being developed by the Center are based on the discoveries that adult stem cells from a patient’s own bone marrow can be gene engineered and then potentially used in the same patient to target the genes of the central nervous system, the bones, cartilage and many other tissues. The Center staff is doing research both on the basic biology of adult stem cells and developing procedures for use of the cells in patients with devastating diseases. The Center provides well characterized adult stem cell preparations to academic researchers worldwide, under a grant from the National Institutes of Health. - (Read more)

The Cornell Stem Cell Program was founded on the unique strengths of the Cornell research community with its unparalleled cross-disciplinary collaborations and strong basic and comparative biomedical science programs. The CSCP incorporates over 30 laboratories across Cornell University Ithaca campus, closely interacts with the Center for Vertebrate Genomics, and is supported, in part, by the NYSTEM program of the New York State Department of Health. - (Read more)