UK-China stem cell projects announced

A total of £4 million in being provided to fund the five research projects - which forms the second phase of the UK-China Stem Cell Partnership Initiative.

The initial phase funded nine pilot awards following the successful launch of the Partnership Initiative in 2012.

“We hope these partnerships will help progress our ability to harness stem cell biology towards patient benefit

MRC director Rob Buckle

The latest round of projects will focus on basic and preclinical research that will underpin the development of novel drug and regenerative medicine based therapies for a range of disorders including heart disease, Motor Neurone Disease, Multiple Sclerosis and stroke, the MRC said.

Director of Science Programmes at the MRC Rob Buckle said: “It is gratifying to see how this initiative has developed over the past couple of years such that we are now able to launch five exciting collaborative projects that capitalise on the complementary strengths of the research teams involved from the two countries.

“We hope that these partnerships will both help progress our ability to harness stem cell biology towards patient benefit, as well as provide a foundation for further joint activity between the UK and China in stem cell research the future.”

The Stem Cell Partnership Initiative is designed to bring together a wide range of stem cell researchers, promote the exchange of scientific results and establish a platform for mutual scientific contact.