Biden, Soon-Shiong, Frist take cancer message to Vatican

An apparent highlight of the conference was U2 guitarist David "The Edge" Evans, who is active is several cancer charities, becoming the first rock star to play the Sistine Chapel.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden meets Pope Francis at the Third International Conference on Regenerative Medicine in Vatican City.

Vice President Joe Biden, NantWorks founder Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong and former Senate Majority Leader Dr. Bill Frist were among the luminaries at the Vatican on Friday and Saturday for a conference on cancer and regenerative medicine called Cellular Horizons. It was exclusive as the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, but far more open to the media.

Biden, whose son, Beau, died of cancer last year, called for a global commitment to “end cancer as we know it,” CBS News reported. “The truth is that today, more than at any point in human history, we have a genuine opportunity to help more people all across the world than ever before,” Biden added.

Pope Francis spoke immediately after Biden. “Research, whether in academia and industry, requires unwavering attention to moral issues if it is to be an instrument which safeguards human life and the dignity of the person,” the pontiff said, the New York Times reported.

Soon-Shiong brought a message of hope, saying that cancer might some day be a “normal biological event” that the immune system could be trained by vaccine to combat, according to National Catholic Reporter.

Frist talked about the “regulatory structures” necessary to bring breakthroughs to patients while also ensuring safety. Conference organizers released this video:

An apparent highlight of the conference was U2 guitarist David “The Edge” Evans becoming the first rock star to play the Sistine Chapel. The Irish musician lost his father to cancer just a couple of weeks ago, has a daughter who has fought leukemia and is active himself in several cancer charities.

Here’s a clip of The Edge and a choir covering Leonard Cohen’s “If It Be Your Will”:

Photo: U.S. Embassy in Italy 

Shares0
Shares0