Winston-Salem one of ten cities in the nation leading biotech innovation

By Algenon Cash   Since its origin, Winston-Salem has been a city of big ideas and innovation. The city built international brands—BB&T (now Truist), Wachovia (now Wells Fargo), RJ Reynolds (now Reynolds American), HanesBrand, Krispy Kreme, Piedmont Airlines. But we failed to hold onto them.   Our ability to create is undeniable, but our track record of sustaining what we build? Not so great. Companies born in Winston-Salem have staged a mass exodus over the past few decades.  Now, we’re at another turning point, this time in biotechnology and regenerative medicine. The Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) is leading groundbreaking research in organ regeneration, cell therapies, and chronic disease treatment.  Winston-Salem is one of only ten cities in the nation selected by the National Science Foundation (NSF) as a hub for innovation – and the only one focused on healthcare.  Few people realize that some of the most cutting-edge medical breakthroughs are happening right here. Dr. Anthony Atala, a world-renowned pioneer in regenerative medicine, was the first to create an engineered organ that was implanted into a human. Those patients are still walking around today.  “Dr. Atala really led the scientific discipline of regenerative medicine,” Dr. Tim Bertram, the new...