The history and mission of MStem Cell Laboratories
MStem Cell Laboratories was established in 2009 with initial funding from the University of Michigan’s Taubman Institute.
Dr. Gary D. Smith, founding director of MStem Cell, and A. Alfred Taubman, the noted Michigan businessman and philanthropist, had been active in the statewide effort to legalize the use of human embryonic stem cells in biomedical research.
Following the successful passage of Proposal 08-02 in late 2008, the Consortium for Stem Cell Therapies was created as a stem cell derivation facility at U-M, and later renamed MStem Cell Laboratories. The lab produced its first stem cell line in 2010.
Today, MStem Cell is the leading academic institution in the United States in the production of disease-specific human embryonic stem cell (ds-hESC) lines and in submission and acceptance of lines to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The laboratory operates with national and state oversight, and is in compliance with all reporting requirements.
Disease-specific lines are important to the in vitro study of genetic diseases because they allow researchers to test new therapies without risk to human patients.
As of late 2019, MStem Cell has produced 53 separate disease-specific lines related to diseases such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and Fragile X syndrome.
MStem Cell laboratories also performs a variety of outreach efforts, including:
To learn more about donating embryos, contact our study coordinator at (734)615-1522, or email, mstemcell@med.umich.edu.
- Training investigators and scientists throughout U-M in the use of stem cell lines
- Fostering collaboration among researchers in various disciplines at U-M
- Presentations to scientific and general audiences throughout the United States on the impact of stem cells in research
- Education about the donation of screened embryos to be used in the creation of additional stem cell lines
- Publication of numerous peer-reviewed papers in prestigious medical journals