Dear Futurists,

The fast-improving science of stem cells has an enormous potential to support medical therapies that regenerate our health and vitality.

In principle, stem cells can enable treatments that fend off degenerative diseases and various chronic side-effects of biological aging.

But in a field with a great deal of excitement (and, sometimes, over excitement), how can we separate the hype from the substance? Which treatments are, alas, snake oil, and which have comprehensive backing from both theory and experiment?

One event each year features the very best information on these topics: the World Stem Cell Summit (WSCS), co-hosted with the Regenerative Medicine Essentials Course.

This year, the WSCS is set to be more impactful than ever. It’s taking place at the at the Wake Forest Biotech Convention Center in downtown Winston-Salem, North Carolina, from Monday, June 5th to Friday, June 9th. There’s a super list of speakers and a very rich agenda.

As well as sessions on the science and technology of various possible treatments, the Summit will include sessions on education, regulation, and, yes, politics – all considering how to make high quality treatments widely available as soon as possible.

The WSCS organisers have kindly arranged for members of London Futurists to obtain a 20% discount on tickets. Use the code LONDONFUTURISTS on the registration link on worldstemcellsummit.com.

Travel and accommodation information can also be found on that site. The nearest airport is Piedmont Triad International Airport (Greensboro). I didn’t find any direct flights from London, but there are plenty of ways to make the journey.

I’ll be speaking there, on the subject “AI Technologies at the Intersection of Regenerative Medicine & Healthspan”. But my main reason for attending to is keep abreast of this whole field. The journey to Longevity Escape Velocity surely involves innovations with stem cell therapies.

For a pre-taste of some of the material likely to be covered at WSCS this year, why not attend the online Virtual Enlightenment Salon tomorrow, Sunday, from 9pm UK time, hosted by the U.S. Transhumanist Party?

Here’s the description of the Virtual Enlightenment Salon from its YouTube page:

On Sunday, May 21, 2023, at 1 p.m. U.S. Pacific Time, the U.S. Transhumanist Party invites Bernard Siegel to discuss his work on patient advocacy and his extensive history in advancing access to regenerative medicine and the right of scientists to pursue stem-cell research. He will also provide an overview of the 2023 World Stem Cell Summit, which will occur on June 5-9, 2023 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Florida attorney Bernard Siegel is the Executive Director of the nonprofit Regenerative Medicine Foundation (RMF) and founder of the newly formed Healthspan Action Coalition.

RMF’s mission is to accelerate regenerative medicine to improve health and deliver cures. Himself a cancer survivor and patient advocate, Bernie Siegel helped forge a visionary advocacy movement – the foundation of the stem cell and regenerative medicine ecosystem. Bernie conceptualized, created, and co-chaired 18 World Stem Cell Summits, World Stem Cell Summit-Shanghai (2019), Equine World Stem Cell Summit (2016), 3 Regenerative Medicine Capital Conferences, and “Human Cloning in all its aspects” at UN Headquarters (2004).

Bernie created and hosts the annual Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine “Action” Awards and serves co- editor-in-chief of the World Stem Cell Report – a supplement to the high-impact, peer-reviewed journal STEM CELLS Translational Medicine, RMF’s official journal partner. He was one of the leaders of the original grassroots Stem Cell Action Network and the Stem Cell Action Coalition, a 100+-member international alliance of nonprofits and research institutions representing the global “Pro-Cures Movement.” He served as a founding director of the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM) industry group, board member of the DC-based Coalition for Advancement of Medical Research (CAMR). He served on the board of the massively successful California 2020 Proposition 14 ballot measure that authorized $5.5 billion for research and clinical trial efforts. He presently co-chairs the advisory board of the Alliance for Cell Therapy NOW, promoting public policy efforts in Washington.

Visit the website of the Healthspan Action Coalition – www.healthspanaction.org.

// David W. Wood
Chair, London Futurists