Canada and California Join Forces to Gain a Better Understanding of the Role Cancer Stem Cells Play in the Development of the Disease

California Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger (third from left), Canadian Health Minister, Tony Clement (centre)
and other decision makers from the two jurisdictions celebrate a historic partnership between the Cancer Stem
Cell Consortium and the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) at the BIO International
Convention in San Diego, California on June 18, 2008.

From left to right: Dr. Alan Trouson, President of the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM); Alain Dudoit, former Consul General, Consul General, Canadian Consulate General in Los Angeles; Dr. Cindy Bell, Executive Vice-President, Corporate Development, Genome Canada and Interim Executive Director, Cancer Stem Cell Consortium; Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor of California; Tony Clement, former Minister of Health, Government of Canada; Robert Klein, Chair of Independent Citizens Oversight Committee of California; Dr. Catriona Jamieson, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Medicine, Moores Cancer Centre ,University of California San Diego; Dr. Martin Godbout, President and CEO, Genome Canada; and Marc LePage, Consul General, Canadian Consulate General in San Francisco.

In January 2006, the Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Working Group convened at the first Summit of the Canada-California Strategic Innovation Partnership and committed to pursue a single, powerful objective: to identify and eliminate the root cause of cancer.

Building on the initial ideas proposed by this group, Canadian stakeholders founded the Cancer Stem Cell Consortium (CSCC) in 2007. With national and provincial partners such as Genome Canada, the Canada Foundation for Innovation, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Stem Cell Network, and the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, this non-profit corporation aims to:

Coordinate an international strategy for cancer stem cell research and translational activities to allow the biomedical community to move quickly and effectively from discoveries to clinical applications
Establish partnerships among organizations from Canada, California and other jurisdictions to accelerate and synergize research and translation opportunities related to cancer stem cells
Secure investments from governments, private foundations and the private sector for sustained and stable research funding

One year following the launch of the Canadian-led Consortium, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor of California, and the Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Health, Government of Canada, announced a landmark partnership between the CSCC and the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), with a pledge of $100 million from Canada.

These organizations will explore collaborative approaches to evaluate, fund and monitor cancer stem cell research projects leading to the discovery, development and delivery of new cancer therapies or diagnostics. It is the first partnership of its kind in the world.

"California is committed to being a leader in stem cell research, but no one state or nation should do this alone," said Governor Schwarzenegger. "Entering into collaborations such as this, which bring together leading medical research capabilities, have great potential in improving the lives of not only Californians, but people around the world."

"This is an historic agreement," said the Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Health, Government of Canada."Canadian researchers have been at the forefront on stem cell research. Now we are working together across borders, bringing together the best minds from both countries with the goal of learning how to prevent and treat cancer for the benefit of all of our citizens."

CIRM Disease Team Grants are among the first collaborations under consideration. These grants will provide an opportunity for researchers in California and Canada to collaborate, broadening the potential pool of expertise that can be applied toward research in a specific area.

The partnership between Canada's CSCC and CIRM creates new opportunities to conduct ground-breaking research that could transform the detection, diagnosis and treatment of cancer over the next decade.

Source: http://www.cirm.ca.gov/press/pdf/2008/06-18-08_b.pdf