The new, $62 million UC Davis Institute for Regenerative Cures, a facility supported by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, officially opened March 10, on the university’s Sacramento campus.

The new facility is the first of several major, CIRM-supported laboratories to open. The state’s stem cell agency provided key funding for the initial phase of the project, which is envisioned to be a $100-million hub for regenerative medicine research that eventually will house more than 200 UC Davis scientists and laboratory personnel.

The grand opening ceremony featured remarks by Claire Pomeroy, vice chancellor for Human Health Sciences at UC Davis and dean of the School of Medicine; Robert Klein, CIRM chairman; Jan Nolta, director, UC Davis Institute for Regenerative Cures; Judy Roberson, president, Northern California Chapter of the Huntington’s Disease Society of America; and Kevin and Teresa Partington, parents of twins who suffer from cystinosis, a rare, hereditary disorder.

Innovative discoveries

“Within this new stem cell institute, our scientists and physicians, from a wide range of disciplines, are working together to innovate and discover answers for people with serious injury and illness from across the state and around the world,” Pomeroy said. “This facility gives the best minds in medicine the tools they need to turn stem cells into cures.”`

“What is exciting about this facility is that it is designed to integrate basic science and clinical medicine,” said Nolta, who is a professor of internal medicine.

Over the past 18 months, construction crews renovated 54,000 square feet of space, creating new research facilities that include Northern California’s largest academic Good Manufacturing Practice laboratory, a state-of-the-art suite of rooms that will enable scientists to safely prepare and manufacture cellular and gene therapies for clinical trials.

Designed to maximize research collaboration and innovation, the new Institute for Regenerative Cures will be a centralized location for researchers from departments and programs throughout UC Davis as well as a shared-research facility for other institutions to use. The initial phase of the project provides space for approximately 20 senior scientists and 115 other researchers and technicians.

“This is an exciting day, not only for UC Davis but for the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine and the entire state of California,” said Klein, chair of the institute’s governing board.

Researchers, who in the coming weeks will move all of their equipment into the building, are working toward launching several clinical trials using adult stem cells to explore potential treatments for Huntington’s disease, retinal occlusion (vision impairment) and peripheral vascular disease.

UC Davis researchers already have treated four patients with adult stem cells to repair tissues damaged by heart attacks. The new suite will greatly expand the university’s ability to test novel treatments and therapies.

Clinical and research programs throughout the university are playing active roles in the disease-team work. The School of Veterinary Medicine provides unique benefits to the stem cell program not found at other institutions.

Equine research experts in Davis are working closely with Nolta and her team to develop techniques that will help in bone and tissue regeneration in horses and also to treat cancer and spinal cord injuries in dogs. Those research outcomes will help guide similar studies involving bone and tissue regeneration and fighting cancer in humans.

Location, integration of disciplines

The institute also benefits from its location on UC Davis’ Sacramento campus, where nearby facilities include a designated cancer center, a renowned neurodevelopmental institute, state-of-the-art imaging and biophotonics programs, and the UC Davis Medical Center.

The ability to renovate a large, existing building also provided crucial advantages for the stem cell program.

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Charles Casey is a senior public information representative for the health system.