BioWorld International Correspondent

LONDON - The UK government announced a large increase in public spending on stem cell research, to fund a 10-year strategy from 2006 to 2016, and maintain the country's leading position in the field.

New money of at least £350 million (US$609.1 million) will be added to the £300 million promised under current spending plans. Much of the funding is earmarked for translational research in which academics, clinicians and biotechnology companies will work in partnership to commercialize stem cell research.

The strategy was drawn up by the UK Stem Cell Initiative (UKSCI), a body formed in March to investigate what the UK needed to do to build on its existing position and set out a road map for translating basic research into therapies. When the UKSCI published its findings last week, the government responded immediately to say it accepted the recommendations and would provide the funding.

John Pattison, chair of the UKSCI, said, "The ultimate health and wealth gains the UK will enjoy are directly proportional to the additional investment we are proposing."

The increases mean that between 2006 and 2008, government spending will rise by £50 million to £100 million. New measures to be funded include a public-private consortium to use stem cells as tools in drug discovery and development, providing money to build a permanent home for the UK Stem Cell Bank, matching private funding raised by the UK Stem Cell Foundation for clinical trials, developing the regulatory framework to ensure appropriate bodies are in place for assessing and approving clinical trials of stem cell products, and encouraging greater coordination and collaboration between all participants involved in developing stem cells as a technology platform and translating that into novel therapies.

Pattison said stem cells are a high-risk area of research, but said "we must foster those who pioneer the applied aspects of our strong basic science." He added that it is "essential, therefore, that the UK is supportive of early clinical trials, provided they are of sufficient quality."

Michael Hunt, CEO of ReNeuron Ltd., of Guildford, one of the UK's two listed stem cell companies, said the government's response to the UKSCI report was a significant step in terms of maintaining the UK's pre-eminence in stem cell research.

Hunt particularly welcomed the commitment to match money raised by the UK Stem Cell Foundation for clinical and translational research and added that "although much more resource and support will be required in the longer term to keep the UK ahead globally" it is "one of the world's best places in which to conduct stem cell research and development."

While the UKSCI believes that ultimately stem cell research will translate into treatments for conditions such as Parkinson's disease, diabetes and heart disease, there will be shorter-term benefits in conventional medicine from improvements in drug discovery.

The UKSCI examined the UK's strengths and weaknesses in stem cell research in relation to other countries, and concluded it has a position of strength because of the open regulatory framework and the existing investment of £30 million annually. But it noted increasing competition globally, with high levels of investment in the field in China, Korea and the U.S.

Simon Best, chairman elect of the UK BioIndustry Association, welcomed the government's recognition of the national strategic importance of stem cells. "The BIA believes that the existing stem cell networks in the UK should be used as a base from which to coordinate further research in order to convert stem cell technology into new medical treatments as quickly as possible."