All hands were on deck at the “Unite to Cure” conference, organized by the Cura Foundation and the Vatican Pontifical Council,  and held at the Vatican on April 26-28. Religious leaders, scientists, physicians, philanthropists, industry leaders, government, academic leaders and members of the entertainment industry gathered to discuss how to improve human health and to increase access to relief of suffering for the under-served around the world.

Pope Francis spoke of “the great strides made by scientific research in discovering and making available new cures” but stressed that science also needs to have “an increased awareness of our ethical responsibility towards humanity and the environment in which we live.”

He talked of the importance of addressing the needs of children and young people, of helping the marginalized and those with rare, autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases. He said:

“The problem of human suffering challenges us to create new means of interaction between individuals and institutions, breaking down barriers and working together to enhance patient care.”

So, it was appropriate that breaking down barriers and improving collaboration was the theme of a panel discussion featuring CIRM’s President and CEO, Maria Millan. She had been invited to attend the conference and participate on a panel focusing on “Public Private Partnerships to Accelerate Discoveries”.

As Dr. Millan put it, “Collaboration, communication, and alignment” is the winning formula for public/private partnerships.

She highlighted how CIRM exemplifies this new approach, how everything we do is focused on accelerating the field and that means partnering with the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration to create new regulatory models. It also means working with scientists every step of the way; helping them prepare the best possible application for CIRM funding and, if they are approved, giving them the support they need to help them succeed.

It was a wide ranging, thoughtful, engaging conversation with David J. Mazzo, PhD, President & CEO of Caladrius Biosciences and David  Pearce, PhD, Executive VP for Research at Sanford Health. You can watch the discussion here.

People may find it surprising that government agencies, academic researchers and private companies can all collaborate effectively.  It is absolutely critical to do so in order to rapidly and safely advance transformative stem cell, gene and regenerative medicine to patients with unmet medical needs.  Pope Francis and the Pontifical Council at the Vatican certainly believe that collaboration is essential and the “Unite to Cure” Conference was a powerful demonstration of how important it is to work together for the future of humanity.