California and Canada have agreed to invest more than $ 100 million in joint partnership to fund cancer stem cell research. The announcement was made at the BIO 2008 International Convention in San Diego by Federal Health Minister Tony Clement after he met with San Diego’s leading cancer researchers as well as Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to tie up the three year partnership.

70 % of the stem cell research in North America is conducted in Canada and California making them world leaders in the field. "It means that Canada and California are going to continue to be the centre of research in cancer stem cells for the foreseeable future. They're going to be where the action is." said Clement.  

"I'm absolutely convinced that we are on the world's leading edge of some very, very significant cancer research that will make a real difference in defeating this disease," added Mr. Clement.

Stem cell research is a controversial area as the research is performed on stem cells obtained from human embryos. The entire money though will not be used in embryonic stem cell research; in fact it will also target cancer stem cells which are believed to direct the creation of more tumor cells.

The money will go to the Cancer Stem Cell Consortium which will work with the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. Both organizations will together attempt to understand how to prevent and treat cancer.  Dr. Mick Bhatia, the director of McMaster University's Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute, felt that as the research is in its earliest stages the money announced "is going to be the shot required to get things going."