You Can't Get Those Guys to Do Anything Together

It's been four years and the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine is barely off the ground. In June, its newest director, Alan Trounson, allotted $23 million in funding for research on human embryonic stem cells as well as iPS adult stem cell lines, according to the Wall Street Journal. Next, Trounson will fund teams to focus on specific diseases and he hopes to take those therapies to clinical trials within five years. The biggest challenge, however, might be getting academic researchers, state legislatures, and pharmaceutical companies to work together to make that goal a reality.