UCSD’s Human Stem Cell Core Facility was awarded a $2.8-million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine this week, which will fund the construction of a satellite facility at the Jacobs School of Engineering, as well as the continuation of multiple stem-cell research projects.

The donation is part of CIRM’s most recent $50.5-million pledge to fund stem-cell research in California – $10.6 million will be for projects in San Diego – bringing the institute’s current total contribution to more than $208 million.

The most recent grant comes in the fourth round of funding from the institute, while several UCSD scientists have received grants in previous rounds to help them continue stem-cell research efforts.

“”The support provided by this grant will allow UCSD to enhance our collaborative stem cell program so that we may accelerate our goals of improving health and conquering disease through regenerative medicine,”” Chancellor Marye Anne Fox said in a press release.

The institute was founded to distribute funds allotted by Proposition 71, a $3-billion California initiative passed by voters in 2004. The initiative was drafted to create a funding source after an order signed by President George W. Bush prohibited federal support of work on any new human embryonic stem cell lines created after August 2001.

A portion of the funding will be used to purchase improved equipment and upgrade the existing facility. It currently stores, monitors and maintains established human embryonic stem cell lines, trains scientists in basic techniques to work with the cells and dedicates lab space, technology and support to stem cell research.

The facility also acts as a “”safe haven”” for those whose labs are partially funded by the federal government, according to its Web site. Since the facility is completely independent of federal funding, researchers can utilize space and equipment while avoiding conflict between federally and nonfederally funded projects.

Faculty from bioengineering and other Jacobs School departments will use the satellite facilities to add to current research in the fields of nanotechnology, biomaterials, instrumentation, bioreactors and tissue engineering, all of which are vital to stem-cell research.

“”This new core laboratory will apply an array of the most promising technologies in the world,”” Andrew McCulloch, chair of the bioengineering department, said in a press release. “”This one-of-a-kind research laboratory also is attracting highly talented new faculty to UCSD to work on discoveries that we hope will improve the health of people in California, the country and the world.””

Current campus research projects include the potential use of stem cells in the treatment of cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, spinal cord repair and other disorders considered untreatable with current medicines or procedures.

Earlier this year, 10 of the researchers on such projects were awarded grants from the institute. Seven of those grants, announced during the first round of funding in February, totaled $4.4 million. The remaining three, which came to a total of $7.5 million, were awarded in March.

Professor of anesthesiology Martin Marsala, who recently announced success in reviving motor function to rats with spinal injuries using human stem cells, was among the recipients.

Marsala studies a condition known as spinal cord ischemia, which causes paralysis, due to the death of specialized spinal cord cells even though the spinal cord itself is intact.

“”The important difference between spinal cord ischemia and spinal cord trauma, such as might occur in a diving or car accident, is that in the ischemia model, no mechanical damage has occurred to the spinal cord,”” Marsala said in a press release. “”The spinal cord and brain motor centers are still partially connected, but there has been a selective loss of inhibitory neurons in the spinal cord.””

Marsala said that his team demonstrated the ability to reverse this damage in rats by grafting human stem cells directly into the animals’ spinal cords, and hopes to soon produce similar results in human patients.

“”This could some day prove to be an effective treatment for patients suffering the same kind of ischemia-induced paralysis,”” he said.

Marsala’s grant, totaling approximately $2.4 million, will help fund his future research using stem cells to aid in repairing spinal cord injury resulting from transient ischemia.