Search for the fountain of youth
MITA KAPUR
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William Haseltine, one of the leaders of the biotech revolution, speaks of his interest in regenerative medicine and the Haseltine/Lind ACCESS Health Initiative in India.
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Photo: A. Roy Chowdhury
For better health: William Haseltine.
Scientist and entrepreneur, William Haseltine, the founder of Human Genome Sciences, says he has “dedicated my life to doing what I can to alleviate human suffering from disease. As a graduate student at Harvard I worked with two Nobel Prize-wi
nning scientists James D. Watson and Walter Gilbert. They taught me how to identify an important problem and to solve it definitively. I chose to do my post-doctoral work with David Baltimore, another Nobel Prize winner at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology because he was one of the first to create and applied the new biological techniques investigate viruses that caused human disease.”
In 1982, William switched his efforts to fighting the then untreatable and potentially devastating new disease AIDS. He was one of the first to work with the newly isolated HIV virus. He devised the theory of combination therapy, the use of multiple different drugs with each one targetting a different weak point of the virus. This method worked.
Work on AIDS
“I realised the importance of a genome sequence from my work on AIDS. When we began our work, the virus was newly isolated. No one really knew what it was. The component parts were unknown. Using the newly discovered techniques of DNA sequencing, we determined the entire genome text of the AIDS virus within three months. There before us were all the secrets of the virus. The genome sequence gave us the blueprint for how the virus was made. Even more important, it showed us where the weak point of the virus might lie. In a matter of months the first effective AIDS drugs were discovered. I thought: if we can quickly find all the vulnerable parts of the AIDS virus by determining its DNA blueprint, why can’t we do the same for human diseases by sequencing all the human genes. This was the idea behind the creation of Human Genome Sciences.”
What was it like to work under Nobel Laureates like James Watson, Walter Gilbert?
“I’ve worked with four Nobel Prize-winning scientists, James D. Watson, Walter Gilbert, David Baltimore and Baruj Benacerraf. Each was generous with his time, attention, and knowledge. Although each man had a very strong and distinctive character, they shared a deep passion for science, unending curiosity, and boldness of vision, into taking dangerous career risks, willing to go against current scientific dogma.I can’t say they were patient teachers, for each was eager and hungry for new knowledge. The greatest gift from each was the confidence that big problems can be solved and when solved open still new and grander fields for exploration. Working with these men was like being plugged in directly to a high voltage line.”
Combining business strategy with the noble cause for bettering health was a wise idea, “The business side of my career developed from a desire to see ideas move from the laboratory to the bedside. I had never been interested in science for science sake, although I deeply respect those who are. I created my first company on my dining room table, writing the proverbial business plan. What many people don’t realise is how similar to business the tools of a successful scientist is. A scientist must recognise the problem, identify the tools needed, assemble and manage a team, raise and manage the money to support the work, speak about its importance so that others understand it.”
Working on regenerative medicine to create better, more cost-effective medicine, William’s interest led him to create the Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Biology Society. “The name regenerative medicine helps people understand the benefits of many technologies that might otherwise seem frightening; i.e. to restore to normal function that which is injured by trauma, damaged by disease or worn by time, in others words to regenerate the body. The use of cells and stem cells for therapy is one of the most exciting fields of modern research. I think it likely that artificial limbs will soon receive commands from the brain and transmit the feelings of touch and pressure back to the brain as well.”
“Regenerative medicine is one approach to longevity. I believe that it will eventually be possible to replace all of our aged tissues and organs with ones made from cells of our younger selves. Recent experiments have uncovered some of the fundamental pathways that control aging. New drugs are being developed to alter these processes to slow aging. The goal of regenerative and anti-aging research is not only to extend life; it is to extend healthy active life.”
India experience
Visiting India since 1966, William has “always loved India, the culture, the diversity, the philosophies, the complexity. I have seen many changes in the past 40 years. But many of the essential elements that drew me to India exist today. The biggest difference is the sense of excitement, the sense of a country on the move, a renewed sense of confidence that India can and will solve her problems. Though in many measures India falls well below the global standards, there are many examples of innovative health systems that address the problems of the poor and middle class.”
The Haseltine Foundation for Medical Sciences and the Arts has established an office in Hyderabad. Together with the John Michael Lind Family Trust, William has created the Haseltine/Lind ACCESS Health Initiative.
The overall goal is to strengthen health systems worldwide based on proven models, learning from best practices. The aim is to facilitate the creation of new healthcare enterprises providing efficient, low cost and quality care.
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