Gene therapy, image by Natali _ MisCalifornia launched a $111 million research program last week aimed at developing genetic tools and treatments to help the millions of persons afflicted with mental disorders ranging from autism to schizophrenia. Dubbed ReMIND, it is the largest such concerted effort in the nation.
A stem cell researcher at work. (Photo: 18percentgrey, via Shutterstock)The California stem cell agency handed out $16.4 million in research grants seeking therapies for afflictions ranging from gum disease and cancer to vision loss and Parkinson’s Disease. The award for Parkinson’s was relatively tiny — only $150,000 — but represented a rare case in which the agency’s governing board overturned its reviewers, who make the de facto decisions on awards
A closeup of the hands of an elderly patient suffering from Parkinson's disease. (Photo: SpeedKingz, via Shutterstock)A “new era” in the search for a cure for Parkinson’s disease was heralded this month in an article in a prominent scientific journal that explored research involving more than $52 million and an organization called GForce-PD. The news was accompanied by a cry for more support for Parkinson’s research from the $3 billion California stem cell agency, which has pumped $49 million in Parkinson’s studies over the last 13 years.