Interest rises in stem cell industry

The Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission announced that it received 240 letters of intent in response to four official requests for applications for the fiscal year 2015 funding cycle. A record 16 companies applied for funding, and the letters of intent rose by 45 over the previous year. “This is a very exciting time for the Commission and the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund,” Rabbi Avram Reisner, chair of the commission, said in a statement. “The response to our request for applications is a testament to the success and reputation of our program and the growth of the stem cell research industry as a whole.” The Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund, established in 2006, has a $10.4 million budget for this funding cycle.