If you love UC Davis, and stem cell research too, now is the time to fight!
The California stemcell program provided major funding for UC Davis—how much? $143,156,678.00
One hundred forty-three million dollars in research funding, including $20 million to convert barn-like fairgrounds buildings into the world-class U C DAVIS INSTITUTE FOR REGENERATIVE MEDICINE (IRM).
https://www.cirm.ca.gov/our-progress/institutions/university-california-davis
What are the scientists doing at the Institute?
Mehrdad Abedi is working on a gene therapy for HIV/AIDS;
Paul Knoepfler (yes, him, America’s first blogging scientist!) is working to understand the whole process of cell self-renewal;
Walter Boyd: making a matrix, miniature scaffold with stem cells for heart repair;
Mark Zern: battled to learn how to repair and regenerate the liver;
Frederick Meyers: developing the UC Davis stem cell training program;
Jan Nolta, Program Director—and also using stem cells to fight Huntington’s!
Those are just a few of the human reasons why the UC Davis system should be supported—as the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine has done—remember that $143 million dollars?
Tragically, the California program, (officially titled the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, or CIRM) has run out of money—which means a major source of research funding for UC Davis will be cut off.
We need a funding renewal, and one is on the way. Bob Klein, the man who began the California stem cell program, has written a renewal bill of $5.5 billion dollars for California scientists up and down the state.
IF we can gather enough valid signatures to get on the ballot, we have a strong chance to win.
Please put in the mail by or before April 11th.
In less than one week the curtain falls: after that, no more signatures accepted.
This is a terrible time to gather signatures. We can’t go outside to do it—no professional signature gatherers, no rallies either—but we are not giving up.
What has the program accomplished, what is there to fight for?
Today, 50 little children who once had the “bubble baby” disease– Severe Combined Immune Disorder, or SCID, typically fatal—are now well.
A young man, Brenden Whittaker, is on his way to becoming a doctor—instead of living in the hospital and dying of granulomatous disease.
Numerous paralyzed young people have recovered the use of their upper bodies.
A blind young woman has seen her twins—for the first time.
And more than 80 human trials are underway (or completed) building therapies for vicious conditions, like heart disease, cancer, and leukemia.
That is the purpose of CIRM, (technically the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine), to bring cures where there are none: to answer unmet medical needs.
But now, CIRM’s funding is gone.
California should renew that funding. A measure to do that will hopefully be on the November ballot– $5.5 billion in new funding.
Here is the bill itself: https://caforcures.com/read-the-initiative/
If I was to speak before your college’s alumnae group, those public-spirited citizens who work night and day to raise funds for your university, I would say… CIRM has been a terrific source of grants for the scientists.
Support the renewal of CIRM! If we get enough ballot signatures, there will be a renewal of $5.5 billion (with a B!) on the November ballot.
Turning on the TV highlights the problem—COVID 19 is killing thousands of people in America every day—and across the world.
The California program is an army against this and all chronic diseases. Even now, when their funding has almost run out, they still managed to scrape together $5 million to tackle various aspects of COVID-19 on a beginning basis. But much more is needed.
Do you support stem cell research and gene therapy?
If so, this is your chance to make a real difference—do not let our program die!
We need to renew CIRM, recharging it with an additional $5.5 billion
You can help make it happen in three big ways:
1. Endorse it! For an easy, one-step endorsement form, go to:
https://caforcures.com/become-a-part-of-this-initiative-sign-an-endorsement-form/
2. From the safety of your own home, help gather a last few signatures.We are still gathering signatures, electronically! Every signature is useful, even just one, and we need yours, your family, and friends. Have you signed yet? If not, please do—we will win by one signature at a time. We must get more, in case some of the signatures are disqualified for not being filled out correctly.
Want to help? Contact Melissa King! Melissa@caforcures.com
Or—go directly to: https://caforcures.com/help-us-qualify
3. And our third request? Talk it up! Discuss the renewal of CIRM with your friends. Add comments at the bottom of web articles. Important: write a letter to the editor of your local California paper—even if they do not run it, the editors will read it—and educating the editors is vital! They must know we care!
Support the renewal of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. If we can get it on the ballot, and gain a majority vote, the world changes.
CIRM will fight against COVID-19 with organized power: mobilizing to attack this vile condition. Science is how we’re will beat this thing: so let’s do it.
Want more information, including an easy message box for info? Go to: