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Newsday June 28, 2005, 4:43 PM EDT Stem cell foundation launches 'bench to bedside' partnership NEWARK, N.J. (AP) _ Several educational and research institutions said Tuesday they will work together to develop therapies from stem cell research. The "bench to bedside" partnership will be led by the New Jersey Stem Cell Research and Education Foundation, and will be based at the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark. Other major collaborators are the Center for Applied Genomics of the Public Health Research Institute, of Newark; the Coriell Institute for Medical Research, of Camden; and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, of Newark. Existing labs and scientists will be at the core of the effort, rather than building a new facility, said Assemblyman Neil Cohen, D-Union Township, a foundation supporter. Funding for the effort will come from private donations and grants from other foundations, Cohen said. The amount has not been determined, he said. Dr. Gary Friedman, chief science officer for the foundation and a transplant physician, said the work will involve both adult stem cells and embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cells, taken from the clump of rapidly dividing cells in the first few days after fertilization, can grow into any type of tissue in the body. Scientists say embryonic cells have the potential to grow replacement organs or cure conditions such as Parkinson's disease and paralysis. But social conservatives including the Roman Catholic church oppose their use because the embryo is destroyed while extracting them. Don Sebastian, NJIT senior vice president of research and development, said deriving practical uses from stem-cell science "will require whole new technologies that are as revolutionary as Ford's assembly line was to automotive production." "These are classic engineering functions, and NJIT is poised to engage these problems even as the science is being developed _ so that the therapeutic benefits get to those in need without delay," Sebastian said. Center for Applied Genomics: http://www.cag.icph.org/ Coriell: http://www.coriell.org/ NJIT: http://www.njit.edu/ NJSCREF: http://www.stemcellhealing.org/ (under construction) UMDNJ: http://www.umdnj.edu/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn