Which disease to cure?

by Cara Hetland, Minnesota Public Radio

St. Paul, Minn. — A South Dakota health care system is one step closer to identifying a disease it plans to cure. It's being called the Sanford Project.

A year ago, Sioux Falls philanthropist T. Denny Sanford gave Sanford Health $400 million. One of the requirements for the money is to develop a world class research center to cure disease.

The Sanford Project has narrowed the list of finalists to four -- lupus, childhood diabetes, diseases caused by the human papillomavirus, or pediatric multiple sclerosis. Officials will announce their choice for the Sanford Project in June.

In addition to finding a cure, researchers will have to develop clinical treatments. The project also must have an economic impact on the region and increase the hospital's research reputation.