The National Institute of Health recognized the University of Wisconsin’s WiCell Research Institute as a leading stem-cell research center last week, awarding the center a three-year research grant worth nearly $1.7 million.

Such a grant reflects the superior quality of research UW supports, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation spokesman Andrew Cohn said.

“This is an important grant in that it designates us as an exploratory center. Being designated as a national center is an incredibly prestigious designation,” he said. “We have incredible scientists.”

As Cohn noted, this grant will help scientists to better understand the core biological workings of stem cells through studies of cell cultures and tissues.

In addition, Cohn said the honor surrounding the grant will have a far-reaching impact on the research reputation of UW.

“It will have a tremendous effect on the university.”

Cohn is confident this grant will help UW draw companies worldwide interested in utilizing stem cells and will attract private donors to help finance future studies.

Mike Fritsch, assistant professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, feels that UW has already established itself as a foremost leader in stem-cell research.

“The university has made a great commitment to this, and they’re doing this the right way. Wisconsin has the edge right now,” he said.

Fritsch attributes the quality of stem-cell research to UW researcher and professor James Thomson, who was the first to successfully harbor stem cells in a laboratory setting in 1998.

Since that time, stem-cell studies have evolved to cover various facets of medicine and science. Fritsch said he is confident that such advances will continue to benefit humanity in such immediate ways as helping to cure diseases like Parkinson’s disease.

“It has great potential to be used clinically,” he said, noting that the long-term reach of stem-cell research is uncertain.

In addition to the WiCell Research Institute, two other grants were given, one to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center at the University of Washington-Seattle and the other to the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Medical School. Together, the three expenditures amount to $6.3 million.