The commission was awarded for the development of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines that are created from tissue donated by the patients with Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (Alpha-1).
The Alpha-1 Project executive director Jean-Marc Quach said that the commission signals the intension of direct research and resources aimed at speeding the development of new therapies for Alpha-1.
"I must emphasize that additional funds will need to be raised from the community if Dr. Kotton is to meet the goal of completing 20 stem cell lines over the next three years," Quach added.
Kotton is planning to make the Alpha-1 iPSC lines available to all researchers interested in studying stem cell technology and possible therapies for Alpha-1.
The Alpha-1 Project co-director Darrell Kotton said, "Each cell line represents an essentially inexhaustible source of tissues derived from a tiny donated blood or skin sample from 20 individuals with Alpha-1."
As iPSC cells cannot be differentiated, they can be grown into various organ cells.