$100,000,000 for stem cells

One of the founders of Microsoft, Paul Allen,
donates $100 million to create
new research institute

Marina Astvatsaturyan, Echo of Moscow

The billionaire's decision to give 100 million of his $15 billion fortune for the first five years of a large-scale cell research project was announced at the annual conference of the American Society of Cell Biologists (American Society for Cell Biology) by Allan Jones, executive director of another institute founded by Paul Allen and engaged in brain research (Allen Institute for Brain Science). The "cellular" Institute will also be based in Seattle, led by Rick Horwitz, formerly Deputy Vice President of the University of Virginia. In Seattle, he will have to bring together biologists, microscopists, database developers and other specialists from different fields. Among the tasks of the institute is the construction of detailed visual databases and predictive models of various cell types – from cancer to neurons, which, according to the philanthropist, should accelerate biomedical research and the search for new treatments around the world.

The first Allen Institute, established in 2003 to map the mouse brain, was initially met with skepticism, but 11 years later, the atlases of the brain created there, not only mice, but also humans, are recognized as perhaps the most significant works in the history of neuroscience, they are referenced in hundreds of articles in peer-reviewed journals. According to Horvitz, the new institute will work on the same principles as the Brain Institute, sharing with everyone not only the results, but also cell lines and tools for manipulating them, including reagents.

The Allen Institute for Cell Biology (Allen Institute for Cell Science) will begin its work with the study of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which are considered as promising material for regenerative medicine, as well as the testing of new drugs.

Induced pluripotent stem cells have become a popular object of research since their discovery by Nobel laureate Shinya Yamanaka in 2006, but there is a lot of uncertainty about the mechanism of their transformations. The new institute will create computer models of the transition of these embryonic-like cells into cardiac muscle cells and epithelial cells. Many types of cancer are associated with the rebirths of the latter.

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru17.12.2014