Indianapolis, IN, July 28, 2010 – Emmy-award winning actor Dick Van Dyke has been named the first-ever spokesperson of Cell Therapy Foundation. In this role, Mr. Van Dyke will work with Cell Therapy Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity founded in 2007, to advance awareness about the benefits of adult stem cell research for new treatments for debilitating conditions such as heart disease, peripheral artery disease (PAD), arthritis, Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS) and neurological illnesses, cancer, diabetes, erectile dysfunction, and more.

Mr. Van Dyke is scheduled to record a series of public service announcements focused on educating the public that adult stem cells, which come from bone marrow, fat, umbilical cord blood and placenta, skin, muscle, and other sources, have healing functions that are leading to new therapies for many diseases. An avid graphic artist and animation hobbyist, Mr. Van Dyke will also participate in the development of an animation film project that will visually explain the repair functionality of adult stem cells in a fun and creative way.

“I am truly impressed by the potential that adult stem cell research has already shown and am hopeful that by getting the message to more people, we can fund additional research that could positively impact thousands of lives around the world,” said Mr. Van Dyke.

“We are delighted and honored to welcome Dick Van Dyke to Cell Therapy Foundation as our first celebrity spokesperson,” said Brent Clifton, president of Cell Therapy Foundation. “Communication is the key to increasing awareness about the healing potential of adult stem cells and funding the research needed to move treatment forward. Involving Mr. Van Dyke in our messaging will dramatically help Cell Therapy Foundation reach people of all age groups, all around the world.”

Dick Van Dyke

Born in Missouri, entertainer Dick Van Dyke was raised in Danville, Illinois. He was active in high school and community plays in his teens and served in the Air Force during World War II.

Dick Van Dyke is best known for two successful TV series, The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961-66) and Diagnosis Murder (1993-2001). A song-and-dance man at heart, Van Dyke was a success in both the Broadway and Hollywood versions of the musical Bye Bye Birdie (1960 and 1963), and co-starred in the Walt Disney film Mary Poppins (1964). Van Dyke won four Emmys, and secured his place in the history of American television with The Dick Van Dyke Show (Mary Tyler Moore played his wife). Other films, of many, include Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968, based on the book by Ian Fleming), Dick Tracy (1990) and Night at the Museum (2006, starring Ben Stiller). Gifted at writing and illustrating as he is at singing, dancing and clowning, Van Dyke has penned two books, Faith, Hope and Hilarity and Those Funny Kids. Van Dyke spends much of his time pursuing his interests in computer graphics artist and animation. He has four children and seven grandchildren.

About Cell Therapy Foundation

The Cell Therapy Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation created in 2007 to advance public awareness and financial support of adult stem cell research. The Foundation’s mission is to advance adult stem cell research by supporting the discovery of new medical therapies for a wide range of diseases to include heart disease, peripheral artery disease (PAD), arthritis, Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS) and neurological illnesses, cancer, diabetes, erectile dysfunction, and more.

Cell Therapy Foundation supports a Web-based Adult Stem Cell Research Network, www.ascrnetwork.org, to allow laypersons around the world to learn about adult stem cell scientists and their research and to increase the rate of patient enrollment into clinical research trials involving adult stem cells. There are currently 30 member laboratories featured on the ASCR Network, including sites in Brazil, France, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, The Netherlands, and the USA. Cell Therapy Foundation needs funding to move adult stem cell research forward to help those who need it most. Visit celltherapyfoundation.org to learn more and lend your support.