Patient advocates and veterans who want to bolster public support and funding for stem cell research at the local and national level are invited to attend. The conference welcomes advocates of all diseases and conditions, both those who are newcomers as well as experienced advocates.

ACF Co-Executive Director Constance McKee said, “This conference is the only meeting offering training for Americans who want to advance cures based on stem cell research. Stem cell research is a common thread of hope for almost 70 diseases and conditions otherwise considered incurable.

“Stem cell research affects almost every family in America. There are 100 million Americans who have diseases and conditions that could be improved with regenerative cell therapies. Most Americans want to protect their rights to provide their families with the best healthcare possible,” McKee said.

The keynote speaker will be Robert Klein, a co-author of California’s groundbreaking Proposition 71. Voters approved the proposition in November 2004 and created the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) (www.cirm.ca.gov). Other confirmed and invited speakers are Don C. Reed, sponsor for California’s Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research Act (1999); Bernard Siegel, Executive Director of the Genetics Policy Institute; Dr. Reneé Pera, Stanford University; Dr. Alan Trounson, President of CIRM; Amy Comstock Rick, President of Coalition for Advancement of Medical Research and President of Parkinson’s Action Network.

ACF Co-Executive Director Amy Daly commented, “We are kicking off the conference with a session called ‘Stem Cells 101’ for newcomers. Then a panel of physicians will discuss the latest advances in developing therapies for diseases like spinal cord injury and cancer stem cells. We are planning sessions on ‘How to Work With Congress,’ ‘Increasing NIH and VA Funding For Stem Cell Therapies,’ and ‘How To Invite the Media to Your Event.’”

McKee said Americans for Cures Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization that is the successor to the former Alliance for Stem Cell Research.

“Our founding charter was to support the implementation of Proposition 71 by providing educational programs. As stem cell science is poised to become medicine, we are reaching nationally, to Americans who are hungry for the facts, not the hype, about stem cell science. If we speak out together for cures, we can accelerate the pace at which hope becomes the reality of therapy.”

For more information, please register for the event at www.americansforcures.org or send an email to inform@americansforcures.org. Advocates needing financial assistance may apply for a limited number of conference scholarships