Susan Michalakes did double duty during the meeting as she introduced our speaker, Patrick Gaines, Executive Director of The Gates Center for Regenerative Medicine on the Anschutz Medical Campus. Patrick has held senior leadership positions at several non-profits and also has enjoyed a 15-year tenure as a professional classical musician (French Horn) which included the Colorado Symphony and Opera Colorado. He is also an avid ultra-marathoner.The even better news for SH Rotarians is that Patrick is a gifted presenter who made a very serious and scientific subject interesting and understanding to all.
Patrick described the evolution of Stem Cell Science from a time during the Bush Administration (W) when stem cell research meant harvesting embryonic stem cells which have moral and ethical issues to the present time when stem cells can be created from our own skin cells via a simple punch biopsy. Researchers have learned how to take those skin cells and turn off the one set of instructions which make them skin and turn on any of the other 220 sets of instructions (pluripotency) to make other human body tissues. And since those cells came from the patient to be treated, there is no graft versus host disease, hence no rejection or the need to take a lifetime of anti-rejection medications.
Patrick also was careful to differentiate the work being done by his group from the highly advertised "Stem Cell" procedures which do not use pluripotent stem cells but rather fat stem cells (mesenchymal cells). These mesenchymal treatments can significantly reduce inflammation and pain, but may not improve the actual health of the painful joint.
Patrick thinks we are about 10 years away from the routine use of new tissues, created from our own cells, to treat or replace our own diseased or damaged tissue! Many of us hope he is correct on the success and conservative on the timeline! Thanks, Patrick, for the great program. We would love to have you back to take us on a deeper journey!