NEW YORK -- Weill Cornell Medical College, together with The Rockefeller University and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, will receive $50 million over three years from The Starr Foundation to develop new resources and expertise in stem cell research, helping to position the three institutions' scientists as leaders in this competitive new field.

The gift establishes the Tri-Institutional Stem Cell Initiative, which will build on the already existing strong research ties among the three organizations as well as on the scientific strengths each organization brings to stem cell-related research. Of the total gift, $10 million already has been awarded.

The gift will enable the three institutions to retain and attract outstanding scientists, train future leaders in stem cell research and develop shared facilities necessary to derive new stem cell lines and to expand and maintain existing cell lines for use by scientists. Emphasis will be placed on collaborative studies, bringing stem cell researchers together with colleagues from other fields, including neuroscience, cell cycle research, toxicology, chemistry and physics.

The Starr Foundation has given $1 billion over 50 years to support medical research, health care and educational programs in New York City.

"We envision a thriving community of scientists on these three contiguous campuses creating a major hub of stem cell research in the country," said Maurice Greenberg, chairman of the foundation. "Now these three pioneering institutions -- a world class medical school, a leading biomedical research institution and a premier cancer research center -- can join together and break new ground at this exciting scientific frontier." Greenberg also is an overseer of Weill Cornell, chairman emeritus of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and trustee emeritus at The Rockefeller University.

The Tri-Institutional Stem Cell Initiative will seek to decipher the molecular codes ultimately responsible for human cellular diversity and eventually use this understanding to design cell-based therapies. By including human embryonic stem cells, along with adult stem cells and stem cells from experimental animals, the initiative will help ensure that scientists have access to the most appropriate, robust cell line for any particular study. This broad approach will make it possible for researchers to explore the biological significance of stem cells and to compare the relative merits of all types of cell lines in terms of their function and therapeutic potential.

"Bringing together the complementary strengths of our three institutions will ensure that we continue to pursue the highest quality research and use the knowledge we gain for the betterment of human health," said Antonio Gotto Jr., dean of the medical college.

While stem cell research is still in its infancy, understanding the cells' regenerative powers gives scientists considerable potential to deploy the body's ability for growth and repair against an array of conditions, such as Parkinson's disease, diabetes, spinal cord injury, stroke, burns, heart disease, cancer and arthritis.

Stem cells have the power to replicate and self-renew into multiple specialized tissues. Adult and fetal tissues contain small amounts of stem cells, especially in the bone marrow, liver and brain, that permit regeneration. Even the ancient Greeks understood this: The god Prometheus, attacked by a cloud of fire, survived only because his liver regrew. Today, stem cells are harnessed for bone marrow transplantation and for cardiac revascularization, rebuilding blood vessels for the heart. 

Embryonic stem cells in particular have the ability to rapidly expand, differentiate and assemble into functional blood vessels and pulsating cardiac tissue with the proper growth factors.