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Exclusive Life Science Feature This unprecedented initiative pairs NeoStem and the Stem for Life Foundation (SFLF), a public charity it helped form and for which Smith serves as president and chairman, together with the Pontifical Council for Culture and its charitable organization — Science, Theology and the Ontological Quest (STOQ), an alliance of experts from the disciplines of science, theology, and philosophy. The purpose of this collaboration is to promote and conduct an interdisciplinary dialogue to build a bridge between science and theology. This union also is intended to expand research and raise awareness about adult stem cell therapies and explore their clinical applications in the field of regenerative medicine as well as the cultural impact of such research. Smith shares her insights on the purpose and process of brokering a deal with a religious organization, something many scientists might view with skepticism. IT'S NOT ABOUT RELIGION When Francis Collins, M.D., Ph.D., was nominated for the position of NIH director in 2009, some members of the scientific community publicly questioned how Collins, an avowed Christian, could lead the NIH when his faith positioned him as an advocate of profoundly antiscientific beliefs. NeoStem's Smith has faced similar controversy. In 2011, UC Davis School of Medicine associate professor Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D., described the collaboration between the Vatican and NeoStem as a $1 million gamble, questioning the mixing of science and religion. "To shy away from a certain group that has an incredible influence on over a billion people because its religious beliefs are different than yours, just doesn't make sense," Smith states. "It is not about religion, nor my religious beliefs. This is about education." According to Smith, there is a tremendous amount of confusion between the types of stem cell research being conducted. "If you look at the progress that's been made over the last 10 years, people really don't get it," she states. "They don't understand how much progress has been made using adult stem cells as the source of cells. Today there are 4,600 adult stem cell trials and only 26 embryonic." Further, Smith notes, many followers of the Catholic Church don't realize the Vatican is not opposed to adult stem cell research and even stem cell research involving fetuses that have been spontaneously aborted. Smith believed a collaboration with the Vatican could help clear up some of the confusion and misinformation around stem cell research, which would be in the best interest of those looking for cures for chronic diseases and NeoStem shareholders. Fostering that kind of understanding would also help to meet the stated objectives of the Stem for Life Foundation (SFLF) — raising public awareness of adult stem cell therapies and supporting adult stem cell R&D.; But before the Vatican and NeoStem could embark on the task of educating the 1 billion+ followers of the Roman Catholic Church on stem cell research, they first needed to become educated about each other. "After the first meeting, I sent representatives of the church home with 80 articles on stem cells," she explains. Smith, who is Jewish, also went out and bought Catholicism for Dummies by Rev. John Trigilio Jr. and Rev. Kenneth Brighenti. "There are things they don't believe in, such as IVF [in vitro fertilization], and so it's important to understand their sensitivities," she states. The process of due diligence on the part of all collaborators, from the initial meeting to the signing of an agreement, took about five months — a fairly quick process when you consider the conservative nature of the parties involved. Dr. Smith noted the process of creating the collaboration moved much more quickly when compared to discussions NeoStem has had with large pharma companies and other industry partners. "With strategic partnerships," says Smith, "it takes time to find the right fit, at the right time, with the right budget cycle." She says in the case of a strategic partnership, one party is usually asking for something, while the other gets something, which can take time to negotiate. With the Vatican collaboration, there was no real negotiation. "We set forth with what we wanted to accomplish, how we could do it together, and put it on paper," Smith states. At the top of Smith's list of keys to moving the process along she placed trust. "They had to get comfortable we would not do something that would be in opposition to their faith," she states. "They really trusted us to respect their beliefs." Second on the list was communication, closely followed by goals. With the primary goal being education, the collaborators began to set out how to go about educating. THE MISSION OF EDUCATION The education process not only involved teaching the followers of the Catholic Church about adult November 2013 LifeScienceLeader.com 39