On Oct. 30, 2025, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) approved awarding $27 million through three grants across the state to create a network of Community Care Centers of Excellence (CCCEs). The CCCE program is the first of its kind designed to make regenerative medicine clinical trials accessible for Californians who live far from major medical centers where most clinical trials are administered. Each center will also offer training and career development for both the delivery of treatments and wider patient support services required in the expanding field of regenerative medicine.

The CCCE awards are designed to create hubs that expand the geographic reach of centers delivering clinical trials and approved regenerative medicine therapies, extending access across California. The clinical trials range from therapies for prevalent diseases like Parkinson’s and cancer to rare diseases like sickle cell disease, autoimmune diseases, or ultra rare genetic diseases.

Clinical trials offer patients the chance to receive next-generation treatments, but they can be hard to access by people who do not live near major medical centers. People in remote parts of the state may have less experience with clinical trials or regenerative medicine, or might not have regular access to medical professionals who could provide referrals to clinical trials. The CCCEs help overcome these barriers and are a critical part of CIRM’s efforts to address access to regenerative medicine clinical trials and therapies.

CIRM was created by voters in 2004 through California’s Proposition 71, and extended in 2020 through Proposition 14, to accelerate therapies for unmet medical needs. The agency funds stem cell and gene therapy research (collectively called regenerative medicine) from the earliest stages through clinical trials to advance therapies equitably for people in California and the world. Beyond funding research, CIRM supports programs like the CCCEs to make regenerative medicine therapies accessible and affordable to people in California.

The CCCEs will launch by early 2026 and will involve community-based partnerships that address informational, economic, or social determinants impacting access to or participation in research.