Stem Cells In The Dentist's Chair
A Worcester dentist has decided not to wait until genetic research has tangible, everyday results to offer his patients a chance to harvest stems cells from their dental pulp when they’re having a tooth extracted.
Dr. John Giordano, who has a Park Avenue practice in Worcester, recently began offering the service to his patients at no cost, although the company that cryogenically processes and stores the stem cells, the National Dental Pulp Laboratory, does charge a processing fee and a monthly storage fee.
“Ultimately with the stem cell research that is evolving and over the next 10 years there is no telling what will be discovered or available,” he said.
He has already done if for himself as someone who has had several bouts of Hodgkin’s lymphoma. At some point in the future, research may find that stem cells could be made to help neurological or cardio cells that could help with nerve or heart damage from radiation treatments, he said.
While no patients have chosen to do so yet, he has had inquiries about it. “It’s in an educational phase right now. If there is something out there that might be helpful to my patients, I present it to them.”
California Dreamin’
Dr. Susan Windham-Bannister, executive director of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, took a trip to the West Coast with Gov. Deval Patrick to meet and greet venture capitalists as well as life science and IT companies.
She was hoping for a good reception, but what she got was a great one. She said she’s following up with a California bioinformatics company that is now interested in opening a Massachusetts office. Bioinformatics is the application of information technology to molecular biology, such as using computer technology to map and analyze DNA and protein sequences. Venture capitalists, some that have Massachusetts investments and some that don’t, are very interested in the private-public partnership the center has set up.
“We have had terrific results. There are lots of connections to be made here. What I think is coming out of this is a lot of bicoastal collaboration,” she said.
Venture capitalists were intrigued by the center’s corporate collaboration efforts, which Johnson & Johnson got rolling with a $500,000 investment.
Companies donate money to the collaboration, which lets the center’s money go farther.
Windham-Bannister said that the center has given out $33 million in grants, which has resulted in $327 million in private investment that has or will create 800 jobs.
“When we show them those figures, and that we’re not backing off investment in the life sciences, that we’re creating a 10-fold investment, they’re very intrigued by that,” she said.
Tough Times, Tough Cuts
Tough times apparently call for tough measures. As part of many budget cuts, Gov. Deval Patrick plans to cut funding next year for the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, which gives out a variety of grants to life sciences companies.
While the bill providing the money was passed with great fanfare, dire economic times have shaved down its budget: first by $10 million last year and by $5 million this year.
The governor had to make $1.4 billion in cuts to balance the budget in the fall, and recently outlined another $1.1 billion in cuts that are still needed as the financial situation worsens.
The $1 billion life sciences bill is meant to stretch out over 10 years, with $25 million a year to be spent, but at least for now, grants will have to be for less money or be stretched over several years.
Massachusetts is certainly not alone in scaling back its yearly investments in the biotech industry.
It seems that 46 out of the 50 states have budget deficits of varying degrees, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a public policy research organization in Washington, D.C.
And for other states that invested in the biotech industry, they’re finding they have to cut research funds too.
California, which passed a $3 billion stem cell initiative in 2004, is holding off on new grants this year. The board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the quasi-public agency that gives out the money, approved $58 million in new grants but chose to not give out the money right away.
They’ll reassess the economic situation in March. California’s budget deficit stands at about $16 billion.
Maryland, which instituted a biotechnology initiative, is now cutting theirs as well as the recession wreaks havoc with state budgets across the country.
Got news for our Biotech Buzz column? E-mail Eileen Kennedy at ekennedy@wbjournal.com.
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