State awards $10 million for stem cell research

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - The state has awarded nearly $10 million in grants to fund stem cell research at Yale and the University of Connecticut.

The grants, which are the fourth round of state stem cell funding, will fund 22 projects that span areas such as the role of stem cells in understanding or treating Huntington's disease, leukemia, Parkinson's disease and osteoarthritis.

The grants come from a $100 million state fund for stem cell research established in 2005 when federal funding for research using human embryonic stem cells was restricted.

Federal policy has since changed, but scientists and policymakers say state funding has helped Connecticut in stem cell research, allowing universities to develop labs and recruit scientists.

___

Information from: The Hartford Courant