ZonMw Support for Stem Cell Research

The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw) contributes to the Netherlands’ initiation and implementation policy cycle, and is responsible for distributing a proportion of the resources available for health research and development. Much of ZonMw’s work involves the design, execution and evaluation of national programmes, which are either open or restricted.

Open programmes provide funds for science-driven research. They are open to applications involving research into all aspects of medical and health research and development. Scientific quality is a key factor and the approach is mainly tailored to talented individual researchers or high-ranking research groups.

Restricted programmes provide funding for research on specific issues, where interaction between research, policy and/or practice is needed to address health and health care questions in order to improve and innovate in health care practice. Quality and relevance are of equal importance in the budget allocation process. The approach is oriented towards interdisciplinary collaboration between scientists and practitioners.

Both types of programme use either the responsive mode, the managed mode, or a mix of the two. In the responsive mode researchers themselves define topics which, in their opinion, are relevant to the general objectives of the programme. In the managed mode researchers regarded as most capable of achieving the programme objectives are approached, either through a restricted call for proposals or the award of a research contract. Where appropriate, both modes are applied to fill any gaps that purely competitive mechanisms have failed to address.

Besides allowing for a variety of tailor-made funding schemes, the programme approach provides added value in various ways. First, it enables ZonMw to ensure the coherence and coordination of the activities it supports within and between programmes. Second, it enables ZonMw to develop and apply cutting-edge themes that are of relevance to all or a large proportion of programmes. Examples include ethnic diversity or gender specificity. Third, the programme approach enables ZonMw to devise proactive knowledge transfer, exploitation and implementation policies to make results available and applicable to their specific targets. And, last but not least, it enables ZonMw to invest in partnerships with other organisations, at both national and international level. ZonMw accords high priority to international collaboration, joint activities with international partners and assistance for international scientific networks.

Funding update: 2005

Dutch research projects in EuroSTELLS
The European Science Foundation (ESF) recently announced the awards for the European research program EuroSTELLS. This program is dedicated to European collaborations in stem cell research. After pre-selection 7 full proposals were submitted. International evaluation resulted in 3 funded proposals, of which 2 with Dutch participation. 
Professor Elaine Dzierzak from the Erasmus University in Rotterdam is project leader for a project focused on the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms involved in renewal of blood stem cells. Professor Dirk De Rooij from Utrecht University is participant in a research project focused on combination of fundamental stem cell research and translation to clinical applications, like transplantation and the use of stem cells in pharmacological research. 
The Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMw) and the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) contribute financially to these projects.

Invitational Conference on Therapeutic Cloning
The British Embassy and the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw) held an invitational conference Therapeutic Cloning on Friday November 4, 2005. The objective of the conference was to present a well-founded overview of the current state-of-the-art on therapeutic cloning, scientifically as well as politically. Health research should be driven by public health issues and new scientific developments. To this purpose Dutch and British politicians and leading scientists in the field were invited for a debate. This Therapeutic Cloning Project presented an integrated health scientific-political partnership, with a view to providing the population with early access to new therapies. More information concerning the British-Dutch Therapeutic Cloning Project on www.britain.nl. Proceedings will be available January  2006.

Ongoing national initiatives on stem cell research:

Stem Cells in Development and Disease (2004-2008)

This initiative integrates the knowledge infrastructure of 11 internationally competitive Dutch research laboratories specializing in developmental, stem cell and molecular biology, together with 4 biotechnology companies, to advance biomedical technology and applications in human health and disease. Budget € 4.000.000 for a period of 4 years. See: www.stemcells.nl

Dutch Program for Tissue Engineering (2004-2010)

This is a consortium of research groups from almost all Dutch universities and academic hospitals, joined by pioneering companies and supporting organizations. The objective is to build a strong, coordinated knowledge infrastructure that integrates new knowledge, stimulates collaborations and facilitates utilization of Tissue Engineered products.
Approximately one quarter of the M€ 55 budget is dedicated to stem cell research, which is one of the key platform technologies. For further information see www.dpte.org

Dutch Forum for Regenerative Medicine (DutchFORM)

DutchFORM is meant to be the third stage initiative and stands on the shoulders of the “Stem Cells in Development and Disease” and the “Dutch Program for Tissue Engineering”. It is specifically meant to exploit medical and technological sciences for regenerative medicine applications in health care and R&D-based biomedical industries. The founding fathers are Dutch University Medical Centers, Technical Universities, Dutch based industries, and charity funds. In April 2006 the first public presentation will be held in Heerlen at the DSM headquarters.

Funding update: 2004

Two new groups have been granted ethical approval for new line derivation (equivalent to UK licenses). They are the Hubrecht Lab (Dec 2003), and University of Groningen (March 2004).

In 2004 two Dutch consortiums started research programmes on Stem Cell technologies, with grants from the Dutch government: Stem Cells in Development and Disease and Dutch Program for Tissue Engineering.

Stem Cells in Development and Disease

Stem Cells in Development and Disease integrates the knowledge infrastructure of 11 internationally competitive Dutch research laboratories specializing in developmental, stem cell and molecular biology, together with 4 biotechnology companies, to advance biomedical technology and applications in human health and disease.

This innovative knowledge biomedical technology research program aims to identify and characterize the genetic cascades and regulatory pathways that control cell identity throughout development in several stem cell and tissue systems.

To achieve these goals, they will utilize integrated biochemical and functional genetic approaches, combining gene expression analysis, novel gene disruption technology, stem cell culture systems and rapid monoclonal antibody production.

Bioinformatics databases will be integrated using the latest three dimensional visualization technology and will lead to a new perception of multifactorial processes. This in turn will lead to validation and the subsequent formulation of novel intervention strategies for disease and trauma.

Dutch Program for Tissue Engineering

DPTE is a consortium of research groups from almost all Dutch universities and academic hospitals, joined by pioneering companies and supporting organizations. The objective of DPTE is to build a strong, coordinated knowledge infrastructure that integrates new knowledge, stimulates collaborations and facilitates utilization of tissue engineering products. DPTE focuses on three platform technologies: stem cells, scaffolds and bioreactors.

DPTE has set clear sub-objectives, aimed at both strengthening and extending the platform technologies into clinical applications,  tissue repair by stem cells (cell therapy), smart implants and in vitro engineered products for skin, calcified tissue, cardiovascular and catilage.

DPTE research objectives are:

Tissue repair by stem cells (cell therapy):

Smart implants:

In vitro engineered product:

Design and technology by tmg