Cleveland claims boasting rights as stem cell research hub

While Massachusetts and California have been gaining wide recognition for cutting-edge scientific work in the stem cell field, Cleveland has been quietly building up its own reputation in the burgeoning new industry.

The Plain Dealer makes the case that the Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine has been able to leverage state funding to help launch a string of biotech start-ups. Arteriocyte, Cell Targeting, Juventas Therapeutics and Invenio Therapeutics have all been spun out of the center since 2004, gaining $235 million collectively from grants and venture investors. And their work has not gone unnoticed.

"When we got started in 2003, stem cells were considered very esoteric and not very practical," says Debra Grega, Ph.D., CSCRM executive director. "Now that we've progressed into early stage clinical evaluations and actually are treating patients, we've gotten the attention of large pharmaceutical companies, which was absent until now."

- read the article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer