International Stem Cell Corporation (OTCBB:ISCO), www.internationalstemcell.com,
will present data on its progress toward producing human liver cells
from immune-matched patient-specific parthenogenetic stem cells at The
Liver Meeting®, the 61st Annual Meeting of the
American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (ASSLD), in Boston,
MA from October 29 – November 2, 2010.
ISCO will present to a number of the world's leading liver specialists,
a new method of obtaining highly enriched cultures of differentiated
cells from pluripotent human stem cells, based on a natural
physiological process. A follow-on presentation will demonstrate that
differentiation protocols previously developed for human embryonic stem
cells can, with some modification, be effectively applied to human
parthenogenetic stem cells. These findings will be presented as part of
the 'Stem Cell Poster Session' on November 1, 2010, and are entitled,
'Hepatocyte-like cells derived from patient-specific human
parthenogenetic stem cells possess functions of mature human hepatocytes
including P450 activity" and, "Derivation of highly enriched populations
of hepatocytes from various types of human pluripotent stem cells using
a novel physiological method."
Commenting on these presentations, ISCO's CEO, Andrey Semechkin, PhD,
said: "We are pleased our research team is able to present and discuss
these important findings at this highly prestigious meeting of The
American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, one of the leading
organizations in the U.S. specializing in the health of the liver and
attended by more than 7,500 physicians and scientists."
ISCO's Director of Research and Therapeutic Development, Nikolay
Turovets, PhD, stated, "Presenting these new discoveries at this meeting
demonstrates the progress we have made towards producing hepatic cells
using our parthenotes, and form part of our ongoing efforts to develop
and publicize the unique benefits of our human parthenogenetic stem cell
platform to the scientific community. Over the past year, our research
group has also presented data to the International Society for Stem Cell
Research (ISSCR), the 8th Annual Meeting and the Human SCNT Workshop
conducted by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM)
and the Medical Research Council (MRC)".
In addition, ISCO announced today the signing of an agreement with
Explora BioLabs, a leading California-based CRO specializing in
conducting high-quality pre-clinical in vivo studies. Based on
the results presented at this conference, ISCO will be initiating a
series of pre-clinical animal experiments to study the engraftment and in
vivo maturation of these cells.
ISCO's Vice President, Simon Craw, PhD, said: "Demonstrating that our
human parthenogenetic stem cells can truly differentiate into mature
cells, as well as the initiation of these animal studies represents
important achievements towards demonstrating the validity of creating a
bank of immune-matched human pluripotent stem cells and their
therapeutic derivatives that can be used in clinical studies and,
ultimately, be a valuable health resource for the growing field of
regenerative medicine."
ABOUT INTERNATIONAL STEM CELL CORPORATION (ISCO.OB)
International Stem Cell Corporation is a California-based biotechnology
company focused on therapeutic and research products. ISCO's core
technology, parthenogenesis, results in creation of pluripotent human
stem cells from unfertilized oocytes (eggs). These proprietary cells
avoid ethical issues associated with use or destruction of viable human
embryos and, unlike most other major stem cell types, can be immune
matched and be a source of therapeutic cells with minimal rejection
after transplantation into hundreds of millions of individuals of
differing racial groups. ISCO also produces and markets specialized
cells and growth media for therapeutic research worldwide through its
subsidiary, Lifeline Cell Technology, and is developing a line of
cosmeceutical products via its subsidiary, Lifeline Skin Care. ISCO is
advancing novel human stem cell-based therapies where cells have been
proven to be efficacious but traditional small molecule and protein
therapeutics have not. More information is available on ISCO's website, www.internationalstemcell.com.
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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Statements pertaining to anticipated developments and therapeutic
applications, the potential benefits of collaborations, affiliations,
and other opportunities for the company and its subsidiaries, along with
other statements about the future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans,
or prospects expressed by management constitute forward-looking
statements. Any statements that are not historical fact (including, but
not limited to statements that contain words such as "will," "believes,"
"plans," "anticipates," "expects," "estimates,") should also be
considered to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements
involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, risks
inherent in the development and/or commercialization of potential
products and the management of collaborations, uncertainty in the
results of clinical trials or regulatory approvals, need and ability to
obtain future capital, application of capital resources among competing
uses, and maintenance of intellectual property rights. Actual results
may differ materially from the results anticipated in these
forward-looking statements and as such should be evaluated together with
the many uncertainties that affect the company's business, particularly
those mentioned in the cautionary statements found in the company's
Securities and Exchange Commission filings. The company disclaims any
intent or obligation to update forward-looking statements.
Key Words: Stem cells, parthenogenesis, biotechnology
International Stem Cell Corporation Ken Aldrich, Chairman 1-760-940-6383 kaldrich@intlstemcell.com or Nikolay
Turovets, PhD nturovets@intlstemcell.com |