The NewOrgan Prize
A reminder about the NewOrgan Prize from Sentient Developments: "the Methuselah Foundation recently launched the NewOrgan Prize which will be awarded to the first scientist to produce and successfully transplant an organ using regenerative medicine. The contest is meant to speed up the research process and bring the promise of regenerative medicine to reality. As the US Department of Health & Human Services has stated, 'Regenerative medicine will be the standard of care for replacing organ systems in the body.' The trick is to make it happen. When it comes to reconstructing a new organ, 'new organ engineering' will require the development of all tissues that build the organ including muscle, nerves, arteries and veins. The challenges and limitations of the current system for organ replacement are well documented, including the agony of waiting for a donor to die, lifelong limitations from immunosuppressant drugs, and possible organ rejection. And the sad reality is that many die without receiving a new organ or even qualifying to be considered." As for the Mprize for longevity science, the NewOrgan Prize purse will be formed from philanthropic donations: so if you support the goal, make a donation. Prizes have a multiplying effect: every dollar in the prize purse inspires something like $15 to $50 dollars in research and development funding, based on recent and historical prizes.
Link: http://www.sentientdevelopments.com/2010/10/methuselah-foundations-neworgan-prize.html