COLUMBIA, Md., Sept. 29, 2025 – The Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission (the Commission) awarded $4,707,142 in grant funding to accelerate the development of innovative stem cell–based therapies. The grants will drive research and development programs in regenerative medicine across Maryland.

The first round of funding of fiscal year 2026 will support 11 projects targeting a wide range of conditions, including neurodegenerative, bone and cartilage, heart, developmental, and vision disorders. Grants went to academic institutions such as Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, as well as to pioneering regenerative medicine companies including Nanochon, Inc.; REPROCELL U.S.A., Inc.; RoosterBio, Inc.; HOHCells, LLC; Theradaptive, Inc.; and Stemora, Inc.

“Maryland’s regenerative medicine community continues to make significant headway in developing therapies for debilitating diseases like sickle cell disease and acute graft versus host disease, and in advancing innovations in areas such as bone growth and cartilage regeneration,” said Ruchika Nijhara, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund (MSCRF). “The Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund is proud to support groundbreaking work that has the potential to transform patient care and strengthen our state’s leadership in regenerative medicine. These awards not only accelerate scientific discovery but also foster collaboration, innovation, and economic growth across Maryland’s life sciences ecosystem. The MSCRF grants serve as a critical financial lifeline for regenerative medicine researchers and companies in Maryland and many supported therapies are already showing promise in clinical development.”

Nijhara added, “Our manufacturing grant program is about helping Maryland companies grow. By supporting them as they scale up production, attract investment, and train a skilled workforce, we’re not only creating jobs but also strengthening Maryland’s role as a national hub for regenerative medicine manufacturing.”

“This cycle, we received an unusually high number of applications, and the quality was outstanding,” said Rachel Brewster, Ph.D., Chair of the Commission. “We’re excited to be supporting several local companies and to congratulate all of this funding cycle’s awardees. We wish we had the budget to fund even more of the excellent projects we saw, but we’re proud to be investing in Maryland’s stem cell research community and eager to see the impact of these awards.”

Awardees submitted proposals in response to the Commission's Request for Applications (RFAs) for the first funding round of fiscal year 2026.

In fiscal year 2025, the Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission awarded more than $22 million to advance regenerative medicine development in Maryland. Since its establishment under the Maryland Stem Cell Research Act of 2006, MSCRF has invested over $230 million in more than 700 projects, generating over $525 million in economic activity and creating over 2,000 jobs statewide.

The first round of MSCRF awards for the 2026 fiscal year includes the following:

  • Launch (5 awards): These awards are to encourage new and new-to-the-field faculty to bring innovative research and technology to the regenerative medicine field. Totaling $1,749,324, the Launch Award recipients are Drs. Steven Hsu, Soojung Hur, Yuchuan Miao, and Seunghyun Lee from Johns Hopkins University as well as Dr. Herana Kamal Seneviratne from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
  • Commercialization (4 awards): These awards are for companies to develop new human stem cell-based products in Maryland. Totaling $1,600,000, the Commercialization Award recipients are RoosterBio, Inc. (Dr. Jon Rowley), HOHCells, LLC (Mr. Gregory Merril), Theradaptive, Inc. (Dr. Luis Alvarez), and Stemora, Inc. (Dr. Srujana Cherukuri).
  • Manufacturing Assistance (2 awards): These awards provide entities with funding to support the manufacturing processes/infrastructure of stem cell therapy products in Maryland. Totaling $1,357,818, the Manufacturing Assistance Award recipients are Nanochon, Inc. (Dr. Nathan Castro), and Reprocell U.S.A., Inc. (Dr. Rama Modali).

About the Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission and Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund

The Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission, through its Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund, focuses on identifying and funding cutting-edge research and innovation in the field of regenerative medicine in Maryland. Our Accelerating Cures initiative comprises programs that help transition human stem cell-based technologies from the bench to the bedside as well as mechanisms to build and grow stem cell companies in Maryland.