Texas CEO Magazine November|December 2014 | Page 8

executive education

DEPT

by David Bales and Mario Salinas

REAL MEDICAL
BREAKTHROUGHS
MADE IN TEXAS
The Future of
Medicine is
Stem Cell Research
Today Texas and the world are witnessing tremendous breakthroughs in medical
science and research at higher education
institutions and in the private sector. Stem
cells have generated unprecedented excitement in medical research because of their
well-founded promise to treat many major
health issues, a wide range of sporting and
physical injuries and assist in surgery recovery. For the first time in history, it is possible
to repair damaged tissue with a new supply
of healthy cells by drawing on the unique
ability of stem cells to directly or indirectly
regenerate the body’ s specialized cell types.
Embryonic Versus Adult Stem Cells
Stem cell researchers and advocates have
endured public and ethical controversy,
mainly due to the myth that stem cells can
only come from embryos. Multipotent stem
cells are found in all tissues and organs in
the body. Indeed, new breakthroughs like
the discovery of induced pluripotent stem
cells (iPSCs) that have many characteristics
of embryonic stem cells, have removed the
embryo debate. Currently, product development, investment and research focus more
on adult stem cells, which are safer and
capable of generating a greater variety of
tissues than previously thought.
Leadership Around the State
Doris Taylor, Ph.D. at Houston’s Texas
8

Texas CEO Magazine

Heart Institute, is regenerating hearts and
lungs in awe inspiring work. Imagine not
having to wait on a heart transplant donor,
but to have a new perfectly matched heart
made from your own stem cells. Houston
and Baylor College of Medicine’s Will
Decker Ph.D., is performing groundbreaking
research for a cell-based vaccine to reduce
childhood cancer using the immune system.
Darwin Prockop, M.D. Ph.D., an internationally recognized researcher on human
bone marrow-derived stem cells, directs
the Texas A&M Institute for Regenerative
Medicine. San Antonio is at the forefront of
multiple military applications for stem cell
therapies and has multiple research institutions involved. The San Antonio company
INCELL, led by stem cell manufacturing
expert Mary Pat Moyer Ph.D., is developing, manufacturing and testing clinical-grade
cell and tissue therapy products and reagents
for itself and its global customers.
Stem Cell Economics
Texas is a respected worldwide leader in
medical research, but is at a crossroads in
this globally competitive field. Currently, 13
other states and multiple countries are funding stem cell research and its applications
with the intent to derive economic benefit
while improving the health of its citizens.
A 2010 economic impact study by Terry
Clower, Ph.D. of North Texas University

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and Bernard Weinstein Ph.D. of SMU described the following:
• Potential Increased Revenue and
Jobs in Texas
If Texas’ share of the industry should
grow from 2.9 percent to six percent,
the biotechnology sector could be a
$62.5 billion industry. An industry of
this size would contribute $87.4 billion
to state economic activity and support
over 230,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs (compared to 33,000 today)
paying over $12.8 billion in salaries,
wages, benefits and proprietors’ income.
• Additional Increased Revenue to
Texas
Property income from rents, royalties,
dividends and corporate profits would
rise to almost $7 billion, and state and
local indirect business tax revenues
would increase to $1.3 billion
• Potential Cost Savings to Texas
Estimated costs of treatments each year
in Texas on Heart Attack, Stroke, Type
1 Diabetes, Parkinson’s and Spinal Cord
Injury are approximately $14 billion.
The potential benefits from stem cell
enhanced treatments reducing these
costs by as little as 1 percent would save
almost $140 million each year. Over
30 years these costs would sum $4.2
billion.
According to the James Baker Institute