Back at the beginning of the year I surveyed you readers here on The Niche about the future of CIRM and whether California voters would approve more funding for it in November. That funding effort is now on the ballot as Proposition 14.
A month earlier late in 2019 in my yearly 20 predictions for the stem cell and regenerative medicine field I had prognosticated that we California voters would narrowly approve more funding for the California Stem Cell Agency. You can see that and the other 19 predictions for 2020 here.
I also have made a graphic of the predictions that I’ve included again in this post. In a few months as always I will grade my predictions. So far my progress report on the predictions is only looking so so.
Getting back to CIRM, respondents to the January 2020 survey were more upbeat than I was, predicting by a large margin that the stem cell agency here in the Golden State would be funded again.
However, as we all know things have radically changed in the last 9 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 200,000 people have died overall including thousands here in California. Our state economy is battered as is the national economy.
Now, only weeks away from the election and in the context of these challenges, how do you view the likelihood of CIRM getting more funding via a thumbs up from voters for Proposition 14? Will all the emphasis on health issues make voters even more likely to fund CIRM, perhaps counteracting some of the economic challenges?
Take our first poll below on whether you think CIRM will be funded again and please also do the second poll on whether you think the agency should be funded (setting aside for the moment in this second poll the question of whether you think it will be funded).
To my knowledge, no polling data by proponents of Proposition 14 has been made public.
If CIRM would expand its scope to the use of autologous stem cells and help make this part of the stem cell industry more supported in regard to sterility, safety and standards that our doctors (physicians) could follow, I would say then yes, by all means support CIRM at the polls. However up to now you academics think that the only answers for getting stem cells to the market is through academic lab research – which as you remember has had billions of dollars spent on trying to make embryonic stem cells work but never could so now you all have gone on to IPS cells which still may never get to be used for treating patients all the while thousands of people are being treated with their own bone marrow, and fat and stem cells from
Umbilical cord blood successfully but with no support for collecting, tabulating and reporting the results. That job would be ideal for CIzrM.
I agree. If you would support clinical practitioners, and stop saying that ‘stem cells are great but only for academic centers’. I haven’t heard of anyone catching a disease from their own stem cells.
Last year America spent roughly $3 TRILLION dollars on chronic disease (CDC figures). If we do not reduce that mountain of medical debt, we will not be able to afford other vital needs. Medical emergency is the number one cause of bankruptcy. CIRM is systematically challenging diseases long considered incurable–like cancer, Alzheimer’s, arthritis,diabetes (which cost America $249 billion last year, that one disease costing many times the cost of the entire proposed renewal of funding for CIRM) and many more conditions. CIRM is something shining, and deserves our support.
You are wrong what is curing GvHD ? Mesenchymal stem cells google it Mesoblast. What is better than Covid 19 vaccinations by protein antigens? MSC cells can control viral load crossing clearing , cytokine storm balance, and reboot the immune system during ARDS . An injection of antigen protein an only start the immune system for T,B and NK memory . Go direct with MSC vote yes on 14 Stem cell bond keep California on in the live saving science……..
Have you seen California’s overwhelming homeless/crime problem or the fact that several cities won’t be able to meet their financial obligations i.e pensions? CIRM has came up with NOTHING except spending billions of dollars. That propaganda video is worse than the dubious clinics you seem to hate so much.
@Dan, CIRM has not come up with “nothing” as you claim. There are 50+ real, solid clinical trials, and I’m convinced some of these are going to yield new therapies that will be proven to work and be safe. That’s huge.