LOS ANGELES, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 20
universities and nonprofit laboratories in California received grants worth
almost 45 million U.S. dollars in stem cell researches on Friday.
The grants from California's stem cell agency far
exceeded the federal government's spending on the controversial work.
"I'm happy to tell you that this week California
approved the first state grants for stem cell research," Governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger said in a radio address.
"These grants are the first steps towards realizing
the promise that stem cell research holds for millions of our citizens who
suffer from chronic illnesses," he said.
The governor said the research means a lot for those
who suffer chronic illnesses such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.
"And I've met many people from California and around
the world who could also be helped by this important research," he said.
From this week, California started giving doctors the
resources that they need to expand the frontiers of this life-saving science,
said the governor.
California voters approved the Stem Cell Research
Initiative which was on the ballot in 2004.
"By taking this action, California will lead the
entire world in stem cell research," Schwarzenegger said.
The Republican governor's support of the research
puts him at odds with the Bush administration, which has limited federal funding
to about 25 million dollars annually.
