Adult stem cells gain Austin popularity

A few months ago, Dr. Mark Flood opened his clinic, Celling Treatment Centers , in north Austin because of the city's forward thinking and innovativeness. For years, he used his skills in Arizona as an orthopedic surgeon and most recently his knowledge of adult stem cells to treat some of the worst spinal problems.

"Our main use here is to decrease pain and inflammation in other areas of the spine," said Flood.

He has used adult stem cells in nearly a thousand procedures. The cells are harvested from a patient's bone marrow, helping to speed up the healing process and even correct ailments altogether.

His most notable case was the first scoliosis surgery in Arizona using stem cells. The fusion of a 17-year-old's spine came off without a hitch, healed quickly, and left him playing basketball.

"That's our goal here to restore quality of life,” he said.

It is the same goal for a group called Texans for Stem Cell Research . It wants to build a major research facility for clinical trials right here in Austin by 2014.

“We think if we focus on having FDA clinically approved trials in Texas, then more biotech companies will come to Texas, come to Austin,” said David Bales, the group’s founder.

It could also bring jobs to the state and even more clinical trials to go beyond spines.

“There are a lot of other applications in medicine, including urology, plastic surgery, all those things we eventually want to bring under our umbrella,” said Flood.

The group is now working with state lawmakers to pass several bills to help fund such research in the upcoming legislative session.

"The state of Texas should fund stem cell research,” said Bales. “There's no doubt in my mind, so we're just going to do everything we can to promote that."

Flood said, in the next few months, he will begin to make plans for a laboratory in downtown Austin for some of those clinical trials. Some will be seeking state funding.

In the last state legislative session, a bill to promote adult stem cell research died in the Texas House. Texans for Stem Cell Research says, in the time that has gone by since then, it has more backing from more lawmakers and hopes similar bills make it to law this time around.