The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) has approved two multimillion dollar, multiyear grants for UC Davis researchers. The first is a $2.7 million grant to create a therapy for Huntington's disease and related disorders, using mesenchymal stem cells from the bone marrow to reduce levels of a mutant protein that attacks parts of the brain and results in uncontrolled movements, emotional disturbance and loss of intellectual faculties. The purpose of the second $4.2 million grant is to find a way to safely treat infants in utero to prevent the early and damaging effects of inherited blood cell disorders.