Federal funding for more embryonic stem cell lines is expected to help the university where they were first isolated: the UW-Madison.
Madison is home to the national stem cell bank, which distributes federally approved embryonic stem cell lines. During the Bush Administration, that meant only those created before 2001. Now that the funding ban has been overturned by President Obama, the embryonic stem cell bank could see more business.
The fed’s investment could also spur more interest from both a scholarly and commercial standpoint. Carl Gulbrandsen directs the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF). He says private investment might be bolstered by the fact that embryonic stem cells are now in clinical trial for spinal injuries. The California company Geron is using a Wisconsin stem cell line.