The UCDMC in Sacramento is in the pre-planning stages for its new $75 million stem cell research facility. The 1,000-square foot renovation of a vacant building on Stockton Boulevard near UCDMC is one of three UC Davis-sponsored facilities investing in stem cell regeneration.

The purpose of the facility is to research the replacement of damaged tissues or body parts with new ones derived from stem cells to attempt to cure a broad range of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, Parkinson’s disease and AIDS.

In an effort to avoid federal funding restrictions, the newly designed testing and manufacturing laboratory will be funded by the university. The UC Board of Regents has yet to approve the initial construction fee of $22 million. The planning commission will present designs to the regents this month.

However the university will not receive its share of the grant money, unless judges decide if Prop. 71 should be upheld after several anti-stem cell research organizations and taxpayers’ rights groups sued, alleging that stem cell research is unconstitutional. The lawsuits are currently being reviewed in the appellate court and a decision is expected late next year.