Very Small Embryonic-Like Stem Cell Mobilization Data Presented at International Society for Stem Cell Research Annual Meeting
NEW YORK, June 17 /PRNewswire-Asia-FirstCall/ -- NeoStem, Inc.
(NYSE Amex: NBS) ("NeoStem" or the "Company"), an international
biopharmaceutical company with operations in the U.S. and China,
announced today that a poster authored by NeoStem-affiliated
scientists will be presented in a presentation at the premier stem
cell research event, the International Society for Stem Cell
Research (ISSCR) 8th Annual Meeting in San Francisco on June 17,
2010.
Robin Smith, M.D., NeoStem's Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer, said, "We are excited about this opportunity to present at
the ISSCR conference, one of the most preeminent events in the
world in stem cell research. We continue our efforts to advance the
development and application of very small embryonic-like stem cells
to treat regenerative diseases without the risk of serious graft
versus host disease or tissue rejection typically associated with
allogeneic stem cells. Our leading scientific research effort in
the field is the subject of a multi-pronged collaboration with the
Vatican's Pontifical Council for Culture to advance adult stem cell
research."
ISSCR is an independent, nonprofit organization formed to foster
the exchange of information on stem cell research among the public,
private, academic and government arenas. The Annual Meeting
provides a forum to promote and foster the exchange of research,
feature groundbreaking research from all areas of stem cell science
and serves as a catalyst for inspired stem cell research around the
world. The NeoStem study that shows the successful mobilization of
very small embryonic-like stem cells from the bone marrow to
peripheral blood, will be presented in a poster session on June
17.
The poster is entitled "Mobilization and Isolation of Human Very
Small Embryonic-Like Stem Cells (VSELs) from Peripheral Blood".
Authors of the abstract included:
Dr. Mariusz Ratajczak, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the Stem Cell
Biology Program at University of Louisville, which partners with
NeoStem to develop technologies, based on NeoStem's exclusive
license, to identify and isolate rare adult stem cells called very
small embryonic-like stem cells;
Dr. Wayne A. Marasco, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor at the
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Associate Professor of Medicine at
Harvard Medical School, and Chairman of NeoStem's Scientific
Advisory Board;
Denis O. Rodgerson, Ph.D., MSC, Director of Stem Cell Science at
NeoStem.
Satish Medicetty, Ph.D., formerly Director of Stem Cell Research
& Laboratory Operations at NeoStem.
The abstract shows that very small embryonic-like stem cells,
normally rare in peripheral blood, can be released in greater
numbers from the bone marrow by using an FDA approved drug called
G-CSF. They can then be collected by a process called apheresis, a
process used as standard-of-care in blood donations. The authors
postulate that G-CSF mobilization could become a novel strategy to
obtain human pluripotent stem cells, which are stem cells that have
the potential to regenerate all the cell types of the body. In this
poster, the authors have presented data taken from 28 human donors
that demonstrate the significant mobilization of VSELs into
peripheral blood following a 2-day G-CSF regimen. Using
transmission electron microscopy (TEM), the team also has presented
the first images of a VSEL that features its morphology and small
cell size.
NeoStem is funding research at the University of Louisville to
optimally harvest these cells and prove their ability as an
advanced form of regenerative medicine to aid in the repair of
degenerative, damaged or diseased tissue. NeoStem has developed
processes to harvest and cryopreserve these very small
embryonic-like stem cells from individual patients for future
medical use. Very small embryonic-like stem cells appear to have
many of the properties of embryonic stem cells without the negative
properties. In addition, since these adult stem cells are collected
for the patient's personal use, they overcome two major limitations
in the development of stem cell therapies today -- the ethical
considerations regarding use of embryonic stem cells and the
immunological and infectious disease problems associated with using
cells from a third-party donor.
About NeoStem, Inc.
NeoStem, Inc. is engaged in the development of stem cell-based
therapies, pursuit of anti-aging initiatives and building of a
network of adult stem cell collection centers in the U.S. and China
that are focused on enabling people to donate and store their own
(autologous) stem cells for their personal use in times of future
medical need. The Company also has licensed various stem cell
technologies, including a worldwide exclusive license to VSEL(TM)
technology which uses very small embryonic-like stem cells, shown
to have several physical characteristics that are generally found
in embryonic stem cells, and is pursuing the licensing of other
technologies for therapeutic use. NeoStem's majority-controlled
Chinese pharmaceutical operation, Suzhou Erye, manufactures and
distributes generic antibiotics in China. For more information,
please visit: http://www.neostem.com/ .
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within
the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. Forward-looking statements reflect management's current
expectations, as of the date of this press release, and involve
certain risks and uncertainties. Forward looking statements include
statements herein with respect to the success of the Company's
VSEL(TM) technology, the commercialization of stem cell programs,
the future of stem cells in medical treatment about which no
assurances can be given. The Company's actual results could differ
materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking
statements as a result of various factors. Factors that could cause
future results to materially differ from the recent results or
those projected in forward-looking statements include the "Risk
Factors" described in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 31, 2010
as well as other periodic filings made with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. The Company's further development is highly
dependent on future medical and research developments and market
acceptance, which is outside its control.
For more information, please contact: NeoStem, Inc. Robin Smith, CEO Phone: +1-212-584-4174 Email: rsmith@neostem.com Web: http://www.neostem.com/ CCG Investor Relations, Inc. Lei Huang, Account Manager Phone: +1-646-833-3417 Email: lei.huang@ccgir.com Web: http://www.ccgirasia.com/ Crocker Coulson, President Phone: +1-646-213-1915 Email: crocker.coulson@ccgir.com
Source: NeoStem, Inc.
CONTACT: NeoStem, Inc.: Robin Smith, CEO at +1-212-584-4174
or
rsmith@neostem.com; CCG Investor
Relations, Inc.: Lei Huang, Account Manager
at +1-646-833-3417 or lei.huang@ccgir.com; Crocker
Coulson, President at
+1-646-213-1915 or crocker.coulson@ccgir.com
Web site: http://www.neostem.com/
Posted: June 2010
