Should Californians give more money for stem cell research?

Are Californians getting their money’s worth for the $3 billion they invested in stem cell science in 2004? Is there cause for optimism that major breakthrough discoveries are about to happen? What is holding back stem cell treatments from reaching patients?

These are some of the issues to be addressed Thursday in San Diego at a special stem cell meeting that’s free and open to the public.

The session is sponsored by California’s stem cell agency and UC San Diego, a major hub of stem cell research and experimental treatment.

The event is the first in a statewide outreach tour by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, or CIRM.

The agency is projected to run out of money in 2020 unless more money is raised from public or private sources, and the series of forums is partly meant as a way to persuade voters to further support the institute with more funding.

PUBLIC FORUM:

The free event “Stem Cell Therapies and You” is slated for noon to 1:00 p.m. at the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine...