Patient Advocate Shares What's Ahead in Stem Cell Research and Treatments

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Andrew Schorr:

Andrew Schorr in San Diego for Patient Power at a big regenerative medicine conference.  And I'm with someone who I would call a super advocate in California, but I would say worldwide really, and that's Bob Klein. Bob, thanks for being with us.  

Bob Klein:

You're very welcome.  

Andrew Schorr:

Bob, you helped lead an initiative here in California that with support of the voters raised 3 billion dollars for stem cell research, which can make a big difference for any of us living with cancer for the hope of a care.  Why did you do it?  What got you going?  

Bob Klein:

Well, I think the key here was it was research and therapy development because the whole goal was to bring it all the way to patients.  I was motivated personally because my youngest son had at age 11 a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes where you lose the ability because of an immune reaction in your body that destroys the cells in your pancreas that allow you to metabolize food, you lose the ability to take—to create natural insulin, and you die without artificial insulin.  You are in a position where the disease through blood sugar being very high can lead to blindness.  It can lead to amputation at the end of life.  So as a father it was a terrible disease to see your son with.   

And my mother shortly thereafter was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, and she lost all connection with everyone she knew in the world including her family, with me, with my children.  So as a father and as a son I was really passionately mandated through my own consciousness to act within my capacity to try and change the future for my family.  I saw this through a group of patients from different diseases that came together.  As my family was like every other family, we would only over time understand, whether it was heart or cancer or Alzheimer's we would go through, but we would face this.  

And we have a pivotal time in history but particularly in California which rated in the world as the second greatest biotech research capacity, we had an opportunity to change that future.  A critical historical opportunity to reduce human suffering.  And for a father watching his son go through this it became an imperative for me to write that initiative and chair the campaign and chair the state agency that advanced the research to cures in some patients that you've now met.  

Andrew Schorr:

Yeah, we met one today. A woman who is alive today because of that research, and it's not just to manage conditions chronically.  It's to go for a cure.   

Bob Klein:

It's to go for a cure. Our whole history has been science and biotech is focused on chronic therapies, but we really believe that in the area of cancer, which my wife came down with and is now surviving, in cancer these chronic therapies are very tough on your body, as you know and as your group knows, and cancer is caused by cancer stem cells so that if you can take out the cancer stem cells you have the ability to potentially cure.  And so our focus is certainly to improve the standard of care, but if we can get early interventions in diseases like cancer or heart disease or diabetes where we cure the disease then we've changed the whole paradigm.  We've changed the cost structure that can bankrupt families.  We have changed the suffering.  

It is the ultimate goal and with this frontier of medicine with genomics and stem cells and personalized medicine, precision medicine we have an opportunity that mankind has never had. 

Andrew Schorr:

Wow.  So, Bob, I would say, is a home?run hitter for us as an advocate, but Bob, we all want to do our part.  If we can pick ourselves up off the floor as a patient or family member hopefully get together with the right providers and have the strength, what would you say to our viewers as far as amplifying their voice, whether it's in California or wherever they may be, to try to make a difference like this?  

Bob Klein:

Well, we are on a wave of scientific and discovery and human trials that is unprecedented.  In breakthroughs that really change the nature of the therapies, much more effective therapies, early intervention therapies, the country is not going to change, cancer treatment is not going to change unless in our own communities we step up and talk to our state assembly members or state senate members, let our congressmen know.  

In California, we have the unique opportunity that in 2020 we're going to be able to renew this mandate that goes directly to every family's future by potentially having another initiative, this time for 5 billion that will continue these phenomenal human trials that are under way, 51 human trials right now, many of them in cancer that the state’s agency is finding, 23 more where the agency call CIRM, California Institute of Regenerative Medicine, has funded the initial research while I was chairman in many cases and is now the human trials being funded by someone else, and another 50 translational grants where they're reaching for FDA approval of Phase 1 trials.  

We are at a point of incredible potential where if patient advocates come forward in every community, with their chambers, with their civic groups, and talk about and learn about what the stem cell funding agency in California has done there is a potential to renew this mandate and to drive forward California's solution for its families, for the country and the world at a time when the federal government and their funding is paralyzed by leadership issues.  

Andrew Schorr:

Politics, yeah.  Well, I think that's an important message for all of us, wherever you are.  If you happen to be in California, you can get behind this further funding and wherever you are, whether it's in the US or wherever you live in the world, speak up because can we move funding towards research and can you as an individual participate in research.  I have, maybe you have too, and that can move it along.  

Bob Klein, I want to thank you really from the bottom of my heart for the work you've done on behalf of your son, your mother, your wife and all of us.  Thank you so much.  

Bob Klein:

Well, you're very welcome.  And, you know, it didn't work, it didn't move fast enough for my son who died, but it's a message to all of us is that we can't move fast enough.  We have to count on every day as being a precious day. And we have to act or we'll lose family members and we'll lose opportunities to change the future of human suffering for our spouses, for our parents, for our children, first of all. Thank you.  

Andrew Schorr:

Thank you.  Andrew Schorr in a whole lab building where people with funding, it's come a lot from your agency, have made a difference and may these folks have the discoveries that can make a big difference for us.  

On location in San Diego, Andrew Schorr with Bob Klein.  Remember, knowledge and action can be the best medicine of all.  

Please remember the opinions expressed on Patient Power are not necessarily the views of our sponsors, contributors, partners or Patient Power. Our discussions are not a substitute for seeking medical advice or care from your own doctor. That’s how you’ll get care that’s most appropriate for you.