Connecticut Stem Cell Research Fund Summary

You requested information on the Stem Cell Research Fund (SCRF). Please find my response to your request below.

CGS Sec. 19a-32e established SCRF and authorized that not less than $10 million be made available from SCRF in FY 06 through FY 15 (ten fiscal years) for grants-in-aid to eligible institutions for the purpose of conducting embryonic or human adult stem cell research. In the first two years (FY 06 and FY 07) of this ten year initiative $20 million was appropriated from the General Fund to support SCRF. In each of FY 08 through FY 12, $10 million was disbursed to SCRF from the Tobacco Settlement Fund (TSF) pursuant to CGS Sec. 4-28e. Any balance of such amount not used for grants-in-aid during a fiscal year is authorized to be carried forward for the fiscal year next succeeding for such grants-in-aid.

PA 12-1 DSS eliminated the FY 13 transfer from TSF to SCRF, shifted this TSF funding to the General Fund and authorized $10 million in General Obligation (GO) bonds for SCRF. PA 13-184 eliminated the TSF transfer to SCRF after FY 12. PA 13-239 authorized $10 million in GO bonds in each of FY 14 and FY 15 for SCRF.

SCRF research grants-in-aid are made by the Stem Cell Research Advisory Committee, which has 17 members. The Advisory Committee is chaired by the Commissioner of DPH and other members are appointed by the Governor and by various leaders of the General Assembly from the fields of stem cell research, stem cell investigation, bioethics, embryology, genetics, cellular biology and business. Committee members commit to a two-year or four-year term of service.

The Stem Cell Research Peer Review Committee reviews all grant applications for scientific and ethical merit, guided by the National Academies Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research. The Review Committee makes its recommendations on grants to the Advisory Committee for consideration. The members of the Review Committee must have demonstrated and practical knowledge, understanding and experience of the ethical and scientific implications of embryonic and adult stem cell research. The DPH Commissioner appoints all Review Committee members for either two or four-year terms. The Advisory Committee directs the Commissioner of DPH with respect to the awarding of grants-in-aid.

Section 38 of PA 09-3 JSS authorized DPH to expend $200,000 from SCRF in FY 10 and FY 11 for support staff and other expenses to continue support for this initiative. Likewise, DPH was authorized to expend up to $200,000 in FY 12 and FY 13 to continue support for stem cell research. Section 24 of PA 11-6 implemented this change.

The FY 14 and FY 15 biennial budget appropriates funding of (A) $70,000 in both FY 14 and FY 15 in DPH's Personal Services account and (B) $15,000 in FY 14 and $130,000 in FY 15 in DPH's Other Expenses account to support administrative staff and other expenses related to SCRF. Up to $115,000 of the balance of SCRF will be available to supplement this funding in FY 14 pursuant to Section 14 of PA 13-184.

1. An Integrated Approach to Neural Differentiation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells, Yale University ($3,815,477),

2. Directing hES Derived Progenitor Cells into Musculoskeletal Lineages, University of

Connecticut Health Center and University of Connecticut ($3,520,000),

3. Human Embryonic Stem Cell Core Facility at Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale University ($2,500,000),

4. Human ES Cell Core At University of Connecticut and Wesleyan University, University of Connecticut Health Center ($2,500,000),

5. DsRNA and Epigenetic Regulation in Embryonic Stem Cells, University of Connecticut Health Center ($880,000),

6. Alternative Splicing in Human Embryonic Stem Cells, University of Connecticut Health Center ($880,000),

7. SMAD4-based ChIP-chip Analysis to Screen Target Genes of BMP and TGF Signaling in Human ES Cells, University of Connecticut Health Center ($880,000),

8. Directing Production and Functional Integration of Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Neural Stem Cells, Wesleyan University ($878,348),

9. Role of the Leukemia Gene MKL in Developmental Hematopoiesis Using hES Cells, Yale University ($856,654)

10. Migration and Integration of Embryonic Stem Cell Derived Neurons into Cerebral Cortex, University of Connecticut ($561,632)

11. Optimizing Axonal Regeneration Using a Polymer Implant Containing hESC-derived Glia, University of Connecticut ($529,872)

12. Development of Efficient Methods for Reproducible and Inducible Transgene Expression in Human Embryonic Stem Cells, University of Connecticut Health Center ($200,000),

13. Pragmatic Assessment of Epigenetic Drift in Human ES Cell Lines, University of Connecticut ($200,000),

14. Cell Cycle and Nuclear Reprogramming by Somatic Cell Fusion, University of Connecticut Health Center ($200,000),

15. Function of the Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein in Early Human Neural Development, Yale University ($200,000)

16. Quantitative Analysis of Molecular Transport and Population Kinetics of Stem Cell Cultivation in a Microfluidic System, University of Connecticut ($200,000),

17. Embryonic Stem Cell as a Universal Cancer Vaccine, University of Connecticut Health Center ($200,000),

18. Lineage Mapping of Early Human Embryonic Stem Cell Differentiation, University of Connecticut ($200,000),

19. Directed Isolation of Neuronal Stem Cells from hESC Lines, Yale University School of Medicine ($184,407),

20. Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Directed Endogenous Neural Progenitor Cell Migration, Yale University School of Medicine ($199,975) and

21. Generation of Insulin Producing Cells from Human Embryonic Stem Cells, University of Connecticut ($200,000).

1. Maintaining and Enhancing the Human Embryonic Stem Cell Core at the Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale University Stem Cell Center ($1,800,000),

2. Translational Studies in Monkeys of hESCs³ for Treatment of Parkinson's Disease, Yale University School of Medicine ($1,120,000),

3. Establishing the Connecticut Therapeutic Cloning Core Facility, Evergen Biotechnologies, Inc. ($900,000),

4. Production and Validation of Patient-Matched Pluipotent Cells for Improved Cutaneous Repair, University of Connecticut Center of Regenerative Biology ($634,880)

5. Tyrosone Phosphorylation Profiles Associated with Self-Renewal and Differentiation of hESC¹⁸, UConn Health Center ($450,000),

6. Directed Differentiation of ESCs⁴ into Cochlear Precursors for Transplantation as Treatment of Deafness, UConn Health Center ($450,000),

7. Targeting Lineage Committed Stem Cells to Damaged Intestinal Mucosa, UConn Health Center ($450,000),

8. Modeling Motor Neuron Degeneration in Spinal Muscular Atrophy Using hESCs¹⁸, UConn Health Center ($450,000),

9. Human Embryonic and Adult Stem Cell for Vascular Regeneration, Yale University School of Medicine ($450,000),

10. Effect of Hypoxia on Neural Stem Cells and the Function in CAN Repair, Yale University ($449,771),

11. Wnt Signaling and Cardiomyocyte Differentiation from hESCs¹⁸, Yale University ($446,819),

12. Flow Cytometry Core for the Study of hESC¹⁸, UConn Health Center ($250,000),

13. Cortical neuronal protection in spinal cord injury following transplantation of dissociated neurospheres derived from human embryonic stem cells, Yale University School of Medicine ($200,000),

14. Molecular Control of Pluripotency in Human Embryonic Stem Cells, Yale Stem Cell Center ($200,000),

15. Cytokine-induced Production of Transplantable Hematopoietic Stem Cells from Human Embryonic Stem Cells, UConn Health Center ($200,000),

16. Functional Use of Embryonic Stem Cells for Kidney Repair, Yale University ($200,000),

17. VRK-1-mediated Regulation of p53 in the Human Embryonic Stem Cell Cycle, Yale University ($200,000),

18. Definitive Hematopoitic Differentiation of hESCs¹⁸ under Feeder-Free and Serum-Free Conditions, Yale University ($200,000),

19. Differentiation of hESC¹⁸ Lines to Neural Crest Derived Trabecular Meshwork Like Cells – Implications in Glaucoma, UConn Health Center ($200,000),

20. The Role of the piRNA Pathway in Epigenetic Regulation of hESCs¹⁸, Yale University ($200,000),

21. Early Differentiation Markers in hESCs¹⁸: Identification and Characterization of Candidates, University of Connecticut ($200,000) and

22. Regulation hESC¹⁸-derived Neural Stem Cells by Notch Signaling, Yale University ($188,676).

1. Continuing and Enhancing the UCONN-Wesleyan Stem Cell Core, University of Connecticut Stem Cell Center ($1,900,000),

2. Williams Syndrome Associated TFII-I Factor and Epigenetic Marking-Out in hES and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells, University of Connecticut Health Center ($500,000),

3. Cellular transplantation of neural progenitors derived from human embryonic stem cells to remyelinate the nonhuman primate spinal cord, Yale University ($500,000,

4. Mechanisms of Stem Cell Homing to the Injured Heart, University of Connecticut Health Center ($500,000),

5. Genome-wide screen to identify hESC-specific DNA transcription elements, Yale University ($500,000),

6. Molecular function of Lin28 in human embryonic stem cells, Yale University ($500,000),

7. Therapeutic differentiation of regulatory T cells from iPS and hES for immune tolerance, University of Connecticut Health Center ($500,000),

8. Prevention of Spontaneous Differentiation and Epigenetic Compromise of Human ES and iPS Cells, University of Connecticut ($499,956),

9. Development of iPS cells to study craniometaphyseal dysplasia in humans, University of Connecticut Health Center ($500,000),

10. piggyBac Transposon for Genetic Manipulation and Insertional Mutagenesis in Human Embryonic Stem Cells, Yale University ($500,000),

11. Brain Grafts of GABAergic Neuron Precursors Derived from Human and Mouse ES Cells for Treating Temporal Lobe Epilepsy, Wesleyan University ($499,988),

12. MicroRNA regulation of hESC fates, Yale University ($500,000),

13. Molecular profiling and cell fate potential of hESC-derived early neural crest precursors, Yale University ($200,000),

14. Neural Stem Cell Responses to Hypoxia, Yale University ($200,000),

15. Induction and differentiation of beta cells from human embryonic stem cells, Yale University ($200,000),

16. Evaluation of homologous recombination in hESC and stimulation using viral proteins, University of Connecticut Health Center ($200,000),

17. Transcriptional control of keratinocyte differentiation in human ES cells, Yale University ($200,000),

18. Novel response to RNA editing in human embryonic stem cells, University of Connecticut Health Center ($200,000),

19. A human cell culture model of Angelman syndrome for drug screening, University of Connecticut Health Center ($200,000),

20. Can Natural Neuromodulators Improve the Generation of Nerve Cells From Human Embryonic Stem Cells?, University of Connecticut Health Center ($200,000),

21. Investigating the role of nuclear RNA quality surveillance in embryonic stem cells, Yale University ($200,000),

22. The Influence of Aberrant Notch Signaling on Rb Mediated Cell Cycle Regulation in Megakaryopoiesis & Acute Megakaryoblastic Leukemia, Yale University ($200,000),

23. Derivation and Functional Characterization of Heart Cells from Human Embryonic Stem Cells, Yale University ($200,000), and

24. Hybrid Peptide/RNA Molecules for Safe and Efficient Gene Silencing in Human Embryonic Stem Cells, University of Connecticut ($200,000).

1. Reconstitution of human hematopoietic system by HSCs derived from human embryonic stem cells in humanized mice, Yale University ($1,000,000),

2. Use of human embryonic stem cells and inducible pluripotent stem cells to study megakaryoblastic leukemia, Yale University ($1,000,000),

3. Generation of hematopoietic stem cells and T-cell progenitors from human ESCs, University of Connecticut Health Center ($1,000,000),

4. Modeling Parkinson's disease using human embryonic stem cells and patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells, University of Connecticut Health Center ($992,500),

5. Mechanical control of neural stem cell fate, Yale University ($947,975),

6. Co-differentiation of hESC-derived retinal and retinal pigment epithelial progenitors, Yale University ($832,608),

7. Regulations of Lin28 in Human Embryonic Stem Cell Self-renewal And Differentiation, Yale University ($750,000),

8. Stem Cell Physiology and Chemistry Core, University of Connecticut Health Center ($500,000),

9. Maturation of human embryonic stem (hES) cell-derived cardiomyocytes in vitro using 3D engineered tissue model system, Yale University ($200,000),

10. The Role of Dormant Replication Origins in Ensuring Genome Integrity in Human Embryonic Stem Cells, Yale University ($200,000),

11. Regulating Caspase Activity to Enhance Differentiation Efficiency of Human Embryonic Stem Cells, University of Connecticut Health Center ($200,000),

12. Novel roles of long non-coding RNAs in human embryonic stem cells, University of Connecticut Health Center ($200,000),

13. Molecular mechanisms of germ layer induction in human embryonic stem cells, Yale University ($200,000),

14. Identification and characterization of multipotent cell populations from human adipose tissue for application in regenerative therapies, Yale University ($200,000),

15. Efficient Gene Targeting in Human Embryonic Stem Cell via Recombineering Based Long Arm Targeting Vector, Yale University ($200,000),

16. The role of epigenetic factor-HP1 in regulating human embryonic stem cell pluripotency and differentiation, Yale University ($200,000),

17. In vivo Evaluation of Humans ES, IPS and Adult Brain Derived Neural Progenitor Cell Tranplantation and Migration Using MRI, Yale University ($200,000),

18. Discovering treatments to prevent neurodegeneration in Huntington's Disease using hESCs and patient-derived iPSCs, University of Connecticut Health Center ($200,000),

19. Generation of a novel source of iPS cells for the treatment of osteoarthritis, University of Connecticut Health Center ($200,000),

20. To develop efficient methodologies to generate customized anti-tumor effecter T cells from human embryonic stem cells (hES) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) by TCRengineering approach, University of Connecticut Health Center ($200,000),

21. Generation of layer V pyramidal neurons from human embryonic stem cells, University of Connecticut ($199,945), and

22. Nuclear Receptor Control of Human Epidermal Stem Cells, University of Connecticut ($199,894).

1. Identification of novel targets abnormally expressed in Prader-Willi Syndrome, University of Connecticut Health Center ($200,000),

2. Regulation of mRNA stability and translation in pluripotent and differentiated hES cells, University of Connecticut Health Center ($200,000),

3. Single Cell Molecular Signatures for Hematopoietic Differentiation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells, Yale University ($195,251),

4. Role of Kalirin, a risk factor for schizophrenia, in human stem cells, University of Connecticut Health Center ($200,000),

5. The Role of Endocardial Cells in Human Down Syndrome-Related Heart Defects, Yale University ($200,000),

6. Role of the histone variant H2A.X in the establishment of the epigenetic landscape of human embryonic stem cells, Yale University ($200,000),

7. MicroRNA mediated derivation of hemapoietic stem cells from human embryonic stem cells, Yale University ($200,000),

8. Investigation of gene expression adaptations to alcohol in iPS cell derived neural cultures from alcohol dependent control subjects, University of Connecticut Health Center ($196,836),

9. Identification and purification of smooth muscle cells from differentiating human embryonic stem cells for vascular tissue engineering, Yale University ($200,000),

10. Cytoplasmic dsRNA response in human embryonic stem cells, University of Connecticut Health Center ($750,000),

11. Devising a multidisciplinary approach for the treatment of articular cartilage damage using human ESC-derived chondrocytes, University of Connecticut Health Center ($650,000),

12. Phosphorylation Dynamics of Pluripotent Stem Cells, University of Connecticut Health Center ($570,000),

13. Pulsatile tissue-engineered grafts for surgical correction of single ventricle cardiac anomalies, Yale University ($375,000),

14. Mechanisms of RNA Surveillance in Human Embryonic Stem Cells, Yale University ($750,000),

15. Differentiation of human iPSC and ES into functional neurons, Yale University ($744,446),

16. Elucidating the development and disease of cortical motor neuron using human pluripotent stem cells, UConn Health Center ($337,470),

17. Angiogenesis of Embryonic Stem Cell Derived Hippocampus Transplants, Wesleyan University ($750,000),

18. Development of a Potential Therapy for Osteoarthritic Cartilage Damage using hESC-derived Chondrogenic Cells, Chondrogenics, Inc. ($1,290,499),

19. Continued Operation and Expansion of the Human Embryonic Stem Cell Core Facilities at the Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale University ($500,000) and

20. Stem Cell Approaches for Defining Patient-specific Predisposition to Idiosyncratic Drug induced Liver Injury, University of Connecticut ($1,290,499).

1. Evaluating the endogenous potential for brain repair in primary progressive multiple sclerosis using induced pluripotent stem cells, University of Connecticut Health Center ($200,000),

2. RNA targets of the stemness factor LIN-28, Yale University, New Haven ($200,000),

3. Modeling Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) Using Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells, Yale University ($200,000),

4. Direct differentiation of human iPSCs facilitated by mechanical forces, Yale University ($200,000),

5. Embryonic and pluripotent stem cell- produced factors as novel therapeutic candidates for improved aged muscle function and regenerative responses in humans, University of Connecticut Health Center ($200,000),

6. Mechanical factors influencing the differentiation of human embryonic stem cells, Yale University ($200,000),

7. Genome-wide shRNA screen identifies novel regulatory pathways in human ES cells, Yale University ($200,000),

8. Stem Cells for cell therapy of hypoparathyroidism, Yale University ($200,000),

9. Transcriptional Control of Pluripotency in Human ES Cells, Yale University ($750,000),

10. Inducing immune tolerance to hESCs and their derivatives by the hESC derived thymic epithelial cells, University of Connecticut ($750,000),

11. Generation of functional keratinocytes from hESCs, Yale University ($750,000),

12. Remyelination potential of human ES cell derived OPCs transplanted into the demyelinated nonhuman primate spinal cord, Yale University ($750,000),

13. Molecular Regeneration of the Neuronal development by MeCP2, Yale University ($750,000),

14. A study of the chromatin structure of maternal and paternal 15q alleles to discover therapies for Prader-Willi syndrome, University of Connecticut Health Center ($450,000),

15. Regulation of muscle stem cell programming, University of Connecticut ($450,000),

16. Human tissue-engineered blood vessels using induced pluripotent stem cells, Yale University ($750,000),

17. UCONN-Wesleyan Stem Cell Core Powered with More Cutting Edge Technologies, University of Connecticut Health Center/Wesleyan University ($500,000)

18. Continued service and technology development at the Yale stem cell center cores, Yale University ($500,000), and

19. Are dopaminergic neurons derived from human embryonic stem cells or from fibroblasts the best candidates for treatment for Parkinson's disease as studied in the best primate model, Yale University ($1,800,000).

1. Next Generation Bone Graft Substitute Through Osteogenic Differentiation of hMSC by a Small Molecule, University of Connecticut Health Center ($200,000),

2. Differentiating Human Embryonic Stem Cells Down the Axial Skeletal Lineage, University of Connecticut Health Center ($200,000),

3. Specification of Poised Epigenomic Marks in ES Cells, University of Connecticut Health Center ($200,000),

4. Establishing an Epigenetic Memory of Tissue-Specific Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells for Superior Chondrogenic Differentiation Capacity, University of Connecticut Health Center ($200,000),

5. Vascular Growth Factor Signaling in Human Neural Stem Cells, Yale University ($200,000),

6. Hypoxia and Maintenance of Human Cancer Stem Cells, Yale University ($200,000),

7. Testing the Oxidative Stress Theory of Ataxia-Telangiectasia Pathology Using Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells, Yale University ($200,000),

8. Characterize Nuclear Lamina-Associated Chromatin in Human ES Cells, Yale University ($200,000),

9. Elucidating the Role of Stem Cells in the Skin Tumor Pilomatricoma by In Vivo Imaging, Yale University ($200,000),

10. Modeling Chronic Pain Condition with iPS Cells from Patients with “Man on Fire” Syndrome for Better Pharmaco-Genomic Analysis and Drug Testing, Yale University ($200,000),

11. The Role of Adipocyte Stem Cell in Lymphatic Vessel Differentiation, Yale University ($200,000),

12. Cell Therapy with ISL1+ Cardiac Progenitor Cells for Cardiac Repair After Myocardial Infarction, Yale University ($200,000),

13. Potential of Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Derived Mesenchymal Cells for Lung Tissue Engineering, Yale University ($200,000),

14. Human ES-Derived Neuronal Cell Culture Systems for Investigating West Nile Virus Pathogenesis, Yale University ($200,000),

15. Generation of Customized Anti-Tumor T Cells from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells (hPS) Derived Embryoid Bodies (EB) for Immunotherapy of Human Melanoma, University of Connecticut Health Center ($600,000),

16. Using hESCs and iPSCs to Test the Significance of Hereditary Cancer-Associated Variants, University of Connecticut Health Center ($750,000),

17. Uncovering Molecular Pathways Disrupted in Prader-Willi Syndrome, University of Connecticut Health Center ($750,000),

18. Pluripotency and Heterochromatin Topology, Yale University ($750,000),

19. Improving the Fidelity of Human iPSC with Epigenetic and Chemical Genetic Approaches, Yale University ($532,500),

20. HESC-Derived GABAergic Neurons for Epilepsy Therapy, Wesleyan University ($1,488,229),

21. Developing a Potential Therapy for Multiple Sclerosis Using hESC-derived MSCs, ImStem Biotechnology ($1,129,271),

22. UConn-Wesleyan Stem Cell Core, University of Connecticut Health Center ($500,000)

23. Continued Service and Technology Development at the Yale Stem Cell Center Cores, Yale University ($500,000).

I hope that you find this information helpful. Please contact me if you have any questions or need further assistance.

¹2007 Connecticut Stem Cell Research Advisory Committee Report to the General Assembly.

⁵Stem Cell Research Program – Grants-in-Aid, DPH webpage, accessed 10/21/11.

⁶2010 Connecticut Stem Cell Research Advisory Committee Report to the General Assembly.

⁷2011 Connecticut Stem Cell Research Advisory Committee Report to the General Assembly.

FROM:	Rachel Della Pietra

SUBJECT:	Connecticut Stem Cell Research Fund Summary


Entity	2007 $	2008 $	2009 $	2010 $	2011 $	2012 $	2013 $	TOTAL
Yale University	7.8	5.7	3.9	5.9	3.4	7.3	3.8	37.7
University of Connecticut (UConn) Health Center	5.7	2.5	2.8	3.5	3.1	0.9	3.4	21.8
UConn¹	5.4	0.8	2.6	0.4	1.3	1.2	-	11.7
Wesleyan²	0.9	-	0.5	-	0.8	0.5	1.5	4.1
Chondrogenics, Inc.	-	-	-	-	1.3	-	-	1.3
ImStem Biotechnology	-	-	-	-	-	-	1.1	1.1
Evergen Biotechnologies, Inc.	-	0.9	-	-	-	-	-	0.9
TOTAL	19.8	9.8	9.8	9.8	9.8	9.8	9.8	78.6
¹2007 contractors were UConn Health Center and UConn. For the purposes of this table 2007 funding has been attributed to UConn. ²2007 and 2012 contractors were Wesleyan and UCHC. For the purposes of this table funding in these years has been attributed to Wesleyan.

2013OFA-0399	February 27, 2014
REVISED