Dr. Samuel Wood is a La Jollan on the cutting edge.
He is an innovator in a complex and controversial world.
Wood is the CEO and founder of Stemagen, a specialized stem-cell research and development corporation located in the University Towne Centre area of La Jolla. He founded it in 2004.
“Stemagen is in the heart of the biotech cluster,” Wood said. “Our location is also in close proximity to a number of Southern California’s most renowned fertility clinics, giving Stemagen the ability to make key strategic partnerships to further our research.”
Wood is one of the nation’s most highly respected fertility specialists.
Wood founded Stemagen in an effort to help harness the power and promise of stem cell technology. His vision goes back to his days as a reproductive endocrinologist.
“I saw firsthand the difficult choices parents make regarding what to do with their excess embryos after their families were complete,” Wood said.
In past years, couples had two choices.
“They could donate them to another infertile couple or discard them,” Wood said. “In part, we started Stemagen to give parents another choice: the chance to donate their excess embryos in a way that may help ease the suffering of people with degenerative diseases like Parkinson’s, muscular dystrophy, Alzheimer’s or spinal cord injury.”
Wood’s goal is to continue advancing stem cell research by collaborating with other researchers as well as focusing on its own core mission of aggressively pursuing patient-specific embryonic stem cell lines that may be used for treatment without causing a negative immune system reaction.
Stemagen develops proprietary methods for deriving, maintaining and optimizing human embryonic stem cells that can be used for cell-based therapeutics to treat a variety of these diseases.
Stem cells are special in that they are distinguished from other forms of live cells by their ability to divide and self-renew for long periods of time. They also have the ability to develop into many different cells of the body.
Experts including Wood believe that through stem cell research could come the promise of innovative medical breakthroughs.
Most recently Stemagen entered into an exclusive joint research agreement with the Reproductive Sciences Center (RSC).
While directing RSC 14 years ago in La Jolla, Wood became acutely aware of the tragedy of unused frozen embryos being discarded when couples completed their infertility treatments.
Embryonic stem cells have the ability to develop into all cells of the body and with additional research and development could possibly lead to treating other debilitating diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis and hearing and vision loss.
However, today, in the American public’s eyes, stem-cell technology and research surrounding it remains controversial both financially and ethically.
“Much of the controversy involving research arises from a lack of true understanding of the actual science,” Wood said. “We realize that there are those who oppose our research because of religious or other ethical grounds. While we respect their opinion, many ethicists and religious leaders have come forward to support embryonic stem cell research.”
Wood pointed out that every recognized poll shows that the majority of Americans support the federal funding of embryonic stem cell research.
“What I find particularly compelling is that [as] the number of supporters grow the longer this issue matures,” Wood said. “In a CNN poll conducted in August 2006, 55 percent of respondents said they favored either easing or eliminating federal restrictions on embryonic stem cell research. That same poll conducted in August 2007 saw that number grow to 60 percent. As people learn what stem-cell research is and, perhaps more importantly, what it is not, the more they end up favoring its advancement.”
Overall, embryonic stem cells have the ability to be coaxed into any one of the body’s more than 220 different cell types.
“Dozens of studies have shown they [stem cells] have the ability to travel to create healthy cells and tissues in areas damaged by disease or some injuries. Embryonic stem cells are a kind of universal repair kit for the human body,” Wood said. “The potential for these cells is great. People who may one day suffer from any number of degenerative diseases may in the future receive treatments based directly or indirectly on advances Stemagen makes in our laboratories.”
Wood holds a master’s degree in psychology, a Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biophysics and an MBA.
He is also board certified in both obstetrics and gynecology and in reproductive endocrinology and Infertility. He has served on the clinical faculty at the University of California, San Diego.
As a cutting-edge researcher, Wood has been featured in local newspaper, radio and television stories as well as in several nationally broadcast stories on “Frontline,” “Good Morning America” and the Discovery Channel. He was the focus of a BBC documentary that has now been seen in more than 50 countries.
Wood is a member of the clinical faculty in the Department of Reproductive Medicine at UCSD and a member of many societies, including the Society of Reproductive Endocrinologists and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.
Currently there is very little federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.
“President Bush has twice vetoed Congress’ attempts to increase funding and has promised to do so again should he be given the opportunity,” Wood said. “Some states, like California, offer taxpayer funding, but mostly it is for nonprofit or academic institutions. California is leading the way, though, and will soon make such funding available for privately held companies like Stemagen.”
Stemagen is a privately held company with individual investors. For information, visit www.stemagen.com.