The University of California, Los Angeles announced a $4 million injection of philanthropic funding from the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation to drive advancements in stem cell science and digestive disease research. According to an announcement from UCLA, the dual gifts target basic and translational research while bolstering key faculty recruitment across two specialized centers on campus.
Targeting Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Breakthroughs
The foundation’s contribution is directed toward the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA. According to Dr. Owen Witte, director of the center, the philanthropic support accelerates the transition of foundational scientific discoveries into viable cellular therapies. Witte noted that these resources push new treatments toward clinical trials for blindness, cancer, and sickle cell disease, alongside conditions like muscular dystrophy, autism, and AIDS.
The funding sustains the center’s seed-funding award program for researchers. University data shows this award model generates a 10-to-1 return on investment, enabling scientists to leverage early-stage findings into major grants from external organizations like the National Institutes of Health.
Advancing Chronic Digestive Disease Research
The funding supports the Center for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases within UCLA’s Division of Digestive Diseases. Led by Dr. Charalabos Pothoulakis, researchers at the center focus on uncovering the molecular mechanisms driving chronic conditions that currently lack cures, such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
To aid this work, UCLA researchers established a specialized human fat cell and fat tissue biobank designed to test new drug candidates. Previous investigations by the team detailed how neuropeptides and hormones influence inflammatory bowel diseases, as well as the specific biological roles that obesity and fat tissue play in disease progression.
Strengthening Institutional Recruitment
Beyond supporting active laboratory projects and biobank operations, the financial gifts enable targeted faculty recruitment at both the Broad Stem Cell Research Center and the Center for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.
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