The National Foundation to Support Cell Transplant Research has been established to support the work of Dr. Suzanne Ildstad and the work of the Institute for Cellular Therapeutics (ICT). The ICT, recognized internationally for its discoveries, is a translational, bench-to-bedside research program encompassing both basic science and clinical research initiatives. The basic science component serves as a pipeline for new discoveries to be quickly transitioned into the clinical arena. She has received external research funds in support of the basic science component from a variety of federal private sources, including highly prestigious and competitive funds from the NIH. The clinical trials, however, ambitious and not routinely undertaken by academic groups because of their complexity, are not eligible for federal funding and receive no support from the pharmaceutical industry - uncommon in clinical trial settings - for reasons that will become apparent with the attached background material.

The hope for these clinical trials, which began this month, is that the ICT will demonstrate proof of concept for cell-based therapies which make bone marrow transplantation (BMT) safe. In making BMT safe, you build a platform to cure autoimmune diseases and genetic blood disorders affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide - many millions of whom are children - and allow drug-free tolerance for transplanted organs. The multiple diseases treated and potentially cured with the application of ICT therapies are outlined in the attached information. Total health care costs for patients suffering from these conditions are staggering; a significant portion of those costs would be eliminated with the application of this treatment in mainstream clinical settings. We believe that the ICT is poised on the edge of research and clinical initiatives that will change the face and future of international health care.

The ICT needs $2M per year over current funding for each of the next five years to maintain existing initiatives, and $4M per year over current funding to ensure an independent and vibrant institution with the ability to substantially build on its international reputation for research excellence and speed those initiatives that directly benefit patients. We hope that you will join us in this remarkable opportunity to significantly impact the lives of so many.