Close to 15 years after the first paper on human embryonic stem cells in science,23 this field remains very active and stimulating and is currently driven by academia with very few attempts by industry to adopt it. Industry is hesitant both to invest the large sums required and to take the major risk involved in this therapeutic modality. While stem cells are a very strong scientific tool, without industry joining in, no progress

will be achieved in applying this Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical fascinating technology to our patients. PRINCIPLES OF COLLABORATIONS As shown above, it is clear that, to advance medicine for the benefit of our patients, we must bring scientific ideas through technological progress. As history has shown, such advancement relies on intense collaboration between universities and academic hospitals, industry, and clinicians, independently of the source of the idea and who owns the intellectual property rights. This triangle of collaboration is schematically shown in Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical Figure 1. The Palmaz–Schatz stent is illustrated as an example of a disruptive technology that changed medical practice.11 Obviously,

we find the physicians and innovators, Julio Palmaz and Richard Schatz, at the top corner of the triangle. Several universities and hospitals were part of the clinical pathway to approval. The major industry that took the right Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical corner is Johnson & Johnson. Without such collaborations this innovation would never have become reality. Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical A scientist aiming at expanding human knowledge may identify a new mechanism that leads to a new therapy. However, he needs industry to join in and advance that mechanism towards a drug or a device, together with the physician who

understands the clinical needs. A clinician who treats patients identifies an unmet need and explores ways to overcome this gap with industry, an academic scientist, or an entrepreneur-engineer. A company that seeks to expand its product line often evaluates Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical ideas generated by these two sources, but also defines and develops new technologies in-house. Chlormezanone As a rule, such industries rely on strong advice from their clinical consultants. Figure 1. The triangle of collaboration. Therefore, to advance innovations we need to SCH772984 generate more collaboration methods, with built-in funding mechanisms for early ideas. This must happen within institutions, within countries, and between countries, in the form of international consortia that involve all three elements. Funding at the very early phases is highly important, so that these early seeds grow rather than dry up with time. Within the academic and clinical institutions we need to secure the following mechanisms: A mechanism for exploring novel ideas and advancing them from the bench to the bedside.