Marcus Foundation Pledges $28.7 Million to USC Stem Cell Research

The Marcus Foundation has made a significant donation of $28.7 million to the University of Southern California (USC) for stem cell research focused on regenerating heart muscle cells damaged by heart attacks.

The funding will support physician-scientist Charles 'Chuck' Murry, who is studying the potential of stem-cell-derived heart muscle cells to repair tissue damage and restore cardiac function.

Murry's team has made promising preclinical findings in animal studies using gene-editing techniques to reduce the risk of abnormal heart rhythms when transplanting new cells.

The donation continues the legacy of Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus, who had a lifelong connection to medicine after dreaming of becoming a doctor but instead pursued business and eventually established The Marcus Foundation with his wife Billi in 1989.