Blood, Biotechnology and Well-Being
Week of March 30, 2024
Blood, Biotechnology and Well-Being – Overviews of Genetics, Cellular Therapies and Aging
Over the past 20 years, biological discoveries and healthcare technologies have evolved at breakneck speed. It is now possible to read your entire genetic blueprint in a few hours, reprogram your immune cells to kill cancer, and mine amounts of data never before imagined, all to more effectively treat us more precisely as individuals. Individuals and communities will live longer and healthier lives, and it all starts with our blood!
Blood, Biotechnology and Well-Being – DNA and Genetics
The discovery of the molecular structure of DNA by Watson and Crick in 1952 has cracked wide open the understanding of our genetic blueprint, how single molecular changes in our DNA can cause disease, how our DNA directs how we respond to therapies, and how we can now edit our DNA to eradicate disease, with technologies such as CRISPR. DNA sequencing and editing technologies applied to agriculture and microorganisms, bacteria and viruses, will enable us to realize both precision medicine and more importantly precision health.
Blood, Biotechnology and Well-Being – Cellular Therapies
Pharmaceutical development is at an amazing inflection point, using cells to replace damaged and diseased tissues. Cellular therapies are just now being applied clinically, after the earlier waves of chemical drugs, such as aspirin, and biologics, such as antibodies (i.e., Humira). The treatment of cancer has followed drug development and now it is possible to leverage and even reprogram your own immune system to fight cancer.
Blood, Biotechnology and Well-Being – Aging
While cancer involves the aberrant growth of cells, cell senescence, or aging, occurs through similar genetic changes. Scientists now believe our bodies were designed to live longer than we actually do, and it’s the inhibition of disease that will enhance longevity. Will genetically manipulating individual cells allow us to live both disease-free and longer? In this program we will also briefly review the biology of skincare and wound repair.
David Wellis, PhD, is a nationally-known cell biologist, innovator and entrepreneur with over 30 years of engagement in the life science industry. David currently serves as the CEO of Excellos, a company focused on supplying cellular products and services, together with process development and manufacturing expertise to scientists and clinicians working with cell and gene therapies. Prior to Excellos, he served as the CEO of the San Diego Blood Bank (SDBB) for nearly nine years. At SDBB, David’s vision was to connect altruistic blood donors with basic research and clinical study opportunities, furthering SDBB’s mission of ensuring the health of the community. David joined SDBB following his tenure at a variety of companies that developed antibody therapeutics and tools for biomedical research, diagnostic and applied markets. David received his B.S. from UC Irvine, an M.S. and Ph.D. from Emory University, postdoctoral training at Tufts University and UC Berkeley, and business training at Santa Clara University and UC Berkeley. David serves on the Executive Committee of the Altman Clinical and Translational Research Institute at UC San Diego, and has held board and committee roles in several national blood bank organizations, the National Institutes of Health and biotechnology companies. He has presented to local and national audiences, Young Presidents Organization and has been invited to the White House twice. For the past two years, he was named to the SD500 list of Most Influential People in San Diego.