With new multimillion-dollar grants, UCLA scientists take stem …

Sickle cell disease, which affects more than 90,000 individuals in the U.S., is seen primarily in people of sub-Saharan African descent. It is caused by an inherited mutation in the beta-globin gene that transforms normal-shaped red blood cells, which are round and pliable, into rigid, sickle-shaped cells. While normal red blood cells are able to pass easily through the tiniest blood vessels, called capillaries, carrying oxygen to organs like the lungs, liver and kidneys, sickled cells get stuck in the capillaries, depriving the organs of oxygen, which can lead to organ dysfunction and failure.

CIRM Disease Team III Awards

The purpose of the CIRM Disease Team Therapy Development III initiative is to advance early clinical development of novel therapies derived from or targeting stem cells. These novel therapies may offer unique benefits with well-considered risk to those with diseases or serious injuries. The CIRM grants only support programs that include a clinical study that can be completed and analyzed within a four-year period.

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With new multimillion-dollar grants, UCLA scientists take stem ...