Stanford University's School of Medicine has received a $20 million gift to study cancer stem cells, which are believed responsible for most cancers.

The gift is from the Virginia and D.K. Ludwig Fund of New York as part of $120 million in gifts to Stanford and five other research centers.

The Stanford gift will establish the Ludwig Center for Cancer Stem Cell Research and Medicine, building upon the stem-cell work already being done.

"These funds will enable not only to advance our initiatives on human cancer stem cells, but also to strengthen other unique aspects of Stanford's cancer activities, from genomics to clinic care," said Dr. Irving Weissman, a Stanford professor and stem-cell research scientist. He will head the new center.

The goal of the work at Stanford will be to identify therapies that can target and kill cancer stem cells. It will include more than 30 faculty members in 10 academic departments.

— Don Kazak