By Gabriel Ibarra Bourjac //
What he calls today “a beautiful adventure” began 15 years ago, back in 2007. His grandmother suffered from diabetes and heart disease. At that time he had been approached by a group of businessmen and doctors who had invited him to invest in a “stem cell business”.
“It was a company that was already running and needed some funding. At that time I had the ability to venture into new businesses and I liked that idea of work,” says Héctor Corona, a businessman from Guadalajara who has distinguished himself for promoting the LCells Stem Cell Bank and for having created the LCells Foundation, which in this month of May turns 5 years old.
“They told me that there was an opportunity to improve people’s quality of life and hope. I got into studying the subject, I went to international conferences and it was how I decided to participate as an investor in a company in which today I am CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors”.
Without being a doctor or a scientist, Héctor Corona was introduced to a “high risk” business, today the Jalisco entrepreneur sees that it was worth it, because of the nobility that regenerative medicine represents and they already have offices in Spain and the United States that allow them to keep up to date with the advances in research that science is obtaining
With regenerative medicine it is not only possible to improve the quality of life of many people suffering from various chronic-degenerative diseases, but it also promotes innovation in areas of food biotechnology with the use of stem cells.
As a result of that innovation and advances that have been achieved in biotechnology, they opened a line of cosmetic products that are now bearing fruit and have made it possible to achieve black numbers, following difficult years of investing in this business.
AN UNKNOWN SUBJECT
The subject of stem cells, recalls Héctor, was at that time totally unknown to 99.9 percent of the population, since there was very little information. “Fortunately, we surrounded ourselves with a multidisciplinary group of doctors and researchers in health science with national and international recognition, where we began to work seriously and consistently.”
There were already many studies of animal experiments, but there was practically nothing in humans. “We started going to international congresses, we made alliances with hospitals. The main business was a cell bank, but the concern was much more than that, that they not only be cells, but their use, their application, their usefulness”.
This is how they began to work with therapies with mesenchymal cells that are taken from the placenta with which various diseases such as shoulder injuries, arthritis, psoriasis, pulmonary fibrosis and burn care are treated in clinics specialized in regenerative medicine.
“In these 15 years there have been difficult moments, it was put on the table if we gave up, but knowing that we were on the right track made us persevere, we got on a train that had several wagons, one that opened up is aesthetic medicine and of anti-aging, we just started to generate collaborations with companies from other countries with ingredients derived from cells, it has little that we handle black numbers”.
And it was the business of cosmetic line products with stem cells that saved them; but the business of cosmetic line products, you never expect that you have to wait 10 years for it to be viable, now there is a boom in the topic of taking care of yourself, of preventing, of healthy, many lines of action and projects, saved us a little to follow different paths, indicates Héctor Corona.
THE INTERVIEW
Where do the stem cells that are used in regenerative medicine therapies come from?
“From different sources, it can be from adipose tissue, the beginning of the source of obtaining was the bone marrow, we have already had experience working with different sources, they can even be obtained from the teeth of newborn babies, from the same skin tissue , but one of the sources that we have verified that has been one of the best is the one that we use from the placenta, an event that occurs by nature, it is considered a waste without knowing that it was a rich source of mesenchymal cells, unlike the bone marrow bone or adipose tissue, these cells come with all the ability to do a good job.”
You are a man of challenges, what was that path to success like? I imagine there were very difficult moments regarding investing in something new and uncertain results?
“Several times the issue was put on the table regarding whether we gave up, knowing that we were on the right track made us persevere, we got on a train that had several cars, one that was opened was aesthetic and anti-aging medicine, we started just to generate collaborations with companies from other countries with ingredients derived from cells, it has little that we handle black numbers, but the business of cosmetic line products, you never expect that you have to wait 10 years for it to be viable, now there is a boom in the topic of taking care of oneself, of preventing, of what is healthy, many lines of action and projects, following different paths saved us a bit, several times it was put on the table whether we gave in or not”.
How are they marketed?
“Fifteen years ago the regulation was something we had been struggling with, it is relatively slow, private initiative is what makes it move at the request of various companies, we managed to form an association of banks and it has been changing, one of the achievements that What has been done is to be recognized by COFEPRIS as a common treatment, no longer a research treatment, there is already a regulation, the cells can now be sold, there are clinics that have regenerative medicine”.
PULMONARY FIBROSIS
In what diseases or situations are cells recommended?
“The range is wide, there are a large number of diseases, arthritis, lupus, vitiligo, diabetes, sclerosis, among others. In autoimmune diseases, the capacity they have is that their own cells turn once morest the individual, calm down these cells that misbehave, it is key to make it clear that it is not a cure, but when you care for a person you do not it’s hurting you.
The topic of pulmonary fibrosis is very popular, one of the great damages that COVID-19 has generated in symptomatic and asymptomatic people, they enter the systemic route and are going to be installed to make new blood vessels, so the lung can have better oxygenation. In cardiology, when there is a heart attack, the heart is left with that load of fibrosis and the cells have shown an improvement. In traumatology we see how it is very common that the cartilage is damaged and with cell therapy the cartilage is regenerated”.
15 years ago it was said that cellular regenerative medicine would be the medicine of the future, is it already a reality?
“It is already the medicine of the present, part of the history of the company as such, is that we were making alliances with hospitals to carry out studies, so that doctors as such had cells in their own hands, that it was part of the day to day with them.
THE LCELLS FOUNDATION
How is it that you decide to create a Foundation?
From all this work, we came up with the idea of creating a foundation, because the topic of helping so many areas was insufficient, sometimes the same patient already knows more regarding the pathology and medications than the doctors themselves, people with investigations they did on the internet, many arrive knowing different options and surgery is not only the first option as such, the time has come to think regarding helping in another way, that is how we generate alliances, with civil hospitals it has been a before and following, We no longer entered as a company, we made a merger to support ourselves.
How is the topic that by means of cells food can be produced?
We managed to produce cultured pork, beef and chicken meat, we have already mastered it, we are regarding to take the next step which is production on a larger scale, the foundation supports research with resources, in Mexico we are limited, but We are going to seek international aid with foundations concerned with the issue of nutrition, we already know how to produce it, we are in the stage where the meat produced costs us more, but in a few years we will be able to make it accessible”.
Coming?
“The vision is to put myself at the orders of the people, I am ready if someone needs us, we are eager to make alliances, we invite all the people who need, want and occupy to participate in the event”.
NORA SEPÚLVEDA: THE LCELLS FOUNDATION CELEBRATES 5 YEARS
The president of the LCells Foundation, Nora Sepúlveda tells us that on May 26 they will be 5 years old and will organize a gala dinner in the Patio Mayor of the Cabañas Museum to raise funds. They have a very attractive program with mariachi, folkloric ballet, circus and some other surprises.
“The LCells Foundation promotes innovation in the areas of food biotechnology and regenerative medicine through research, with the aim of improving people’s health and quality of life”, explains Nora Sepúlveda.
ACTIONS DONE
The president of the LCells Foundation refers to the actions carried out by the Foundation: publication of scientific articles in various medical areas, such as orthopedics, traumatology, pulmonology, cardiology, rheumatology, among others.
In the same way, they work on the development of research protocols for the regeneration of joint cartilage in the shoulder and knee through the orthopedics and traumatology service of the Fray Antonio Alcalde Civil Hospital; support research protocol in pediatric patients with severe burns with the support of the Care Unit for Children with Severe Burns of the Hospital Civil Juan I. Menchaca.
The foundation supports patients through the strategic alliance between the LCells Foundation and Cellstime Clinique, clinics specializing in Regenerative Medicine, with which it has been possible to support a large number of patients with different pathologies, in which mesenchymal stem cells have shown safety and efficacy.
The foundation also initiated a series of training programs through webinars in collaboration with renowned researchers in different areas of biotechnology and medical specialists where scientific advances are disclosed.
THE INTERVIEW
It’s been 5 years since the foundation…
“On May 26 there will be a gala dinner to celebrate both the achievements and the great advances in technology to continue helping people, we want you to give us more publicity and people to get involved in supporting us, listen to everything that this great company does to when they need us.”
How does the foundation affect support?
“It is the alliance with Hospitales Civiles, it focuses on two types, children and the elderly, they focus on traumatologies of renewal of the knee, shoulder, elbow, in children with second and third degree burns, it supports people with lupus, pass through a filter of the Foundation, from there we support them, we are a bridge between the economic and the clinical.
What does it mean to you to be at the head of the foundation?
“It means great pride and challenge, it is an innovative association, which is unique, I see enormous possibilities because I believe that we can make great changes and spread the word in some way that we can control that path, we want to take this foundation not only to a national level but also to an international one.
May 26 marks the 5th anniversary of the foundation…
“The event is projected for a 5-year celebration, to publicize the work, for there to be a greater involvement of people to support more people who require it, to invite people to get to know us and join the actions that we have been carrying out. , there is a great work team that we contribute a grain of sand, with that we will be able to increase our capacity to support many more people.
You have a big job ahead of you…
“Yes, a great job and a great challenge, for the future that I will leave my children, as a foundation it cannot be that in 2022 there will still be people with deficiencies both in the area of health and food, if we can contribute that little grain of sand we will do it, whatever has to be done, move forward, if we want to help we will get there. Helping is very nice.”
