Stanford gets $33 million for stem cell research

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Stanford gets $33 million for stem cell research

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-

stanford28feb28,1,2858376.story

By Engel, Times Staff Writer

February 28, 2007

Stanford University will build a center for stem cell research in

the heart of its campus with the help of a $33-million gift

announced Tuesday.

The donation from Lorry I. Lokey, the founder of Business Wire and a

1949 Stanford graduate, came a day after a California appeals court

upheld the constitutionality of Proposition 71, a $3-billion bond

measure for stem cell research.

If the decision withstands a Supreme Court appeal, California by

next year could be spending up to $300 million annually on research

that scientists believe could yield therapies for Parkinson's

disease, diabetes, spinal cord injuries and other ailments.

Like proponents of Proposition 71, Lokey became interested in

supporting the scientific endeavor after President Bush in 2001

restricted funding for research using human embryonic stem cells,

citing moral concerns.

" The important thing to me is that stem cells might not only extend

life but also improve the quality of life, as so many people suffer

in their later years, " Lokey, 79, said.

Stanford's stem cell researchers are scattered across the

university, with some in a renovated building on the edge of the

Palo Alto-area campus. Centralizing the research will allow more

interaction among scientists, said Dr. Irving Weissman, director of

Stanford's stem cell program.