At CIRM, we have the resources to fund promising research through clinical trials. These projects are expensive—often costing tens of millions of dollars.

Phase 2 clinical trial

But many programs that reach our Board begin years earlier, in much humbler circumstances, powered by patient advocates, grassroots fundraising, and the determination of people living with a disease.

That was certainly true of a program the CIRM Board approved yesterday: more than $11 million for a Phase 2 clinical trial testing a cell therapy for dysphagia, a debilitating condition affecting many people treated for head and neck cancer.

Patients with head and neck cancer often undergo surgery or radiation. As a result, they can develop severe swallowing problems, leading to malnutrition, dehydration, social isolation, or dependence on feeding tubes. Some accidentally inhale food or liquid, causing infections, pneumonia, and even death. The only effective treatment is a total laryngectomy, which removes the voice box and leaves the person unable to speak.

Dr. Peter Belafsky and his UC Davis team are developing a therapy using Autologous Muscle‑Derived Progenitor Cells (AMDCs), collected from a biopsy of the patient’s own muscle. Researchers inject the cells into the tongue, where they fuse with existing muscle fibers and strengthen swallowing.

Patient advocacy

CIRM’s $11,015,936 award will allow the team to test this approach in patients. But without grassroots support, the therapy might never have reached this point.

Ed Steger—a long‑term survivor of head and neck cancer and president of the National Foundation of Swallowing Disorders—knows this firsthand. After cancer treatment in 2007, he developed a severe swallowing disorder. His experience motivated him to push for better options.

In 2013, a group of patients visited UC Davis to learn how stem cells might help treat dysphagia. “We were beyond thrilled with the possibilities,” Ed said. With help from patients and UC Davis contacts, the foundation raised enough money to support an early mouse study led by Dr. Belafsky, demonstrating the therapy’s potential.

Years later, that small patient‑funded effort grew into a Phase I/II human trial. Ed says the trial data helped propel the work forward.

“Now, this has blossomed into an additional $11 million grant from CIRM to continue work that could be a game changer for millions of Americans with oral‑phase dysphagia. My hat is off to all who made this possible—the donors, patient advocates, and the dedicated researchers and physicians behind this innovative work.”

Our hats are off to them too. Their efforts are turning what once seemed impossible into something truly achievable.