PALO ALTO, Calif., June 17, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- StemCells, Inc. (Nasdaq:STEM) announced today that three of its scientists will make presentations at the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) 8th Annual Meeting being held June 16-19 in San Francisco, CA. The ISSCR Annual Meeting, which this year is being co-sponsored by The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), is the preeminent meeting of stem cell experts from public, private, academic, and government institutions from around the world. It provides a forum to promote and foster the exchange of research, featuring leading discoveries of the year and serving as a catalyst for inspired stem cell research around the world.
The research being presented by StemCells' scientists represents three distinct areas of research and development at the Company, and highlight the Company's scientific leadership and progress in advancing these discoveries to potential commercial applications. One paper will be featured as an oral presentation by Alexandra Capela, Ph.D., a senior scientist at StemCells, while the other two papers will be poster presentations.
Dr. Capela's oral presentation is scheduled for June 17th at 11:30 a.m. local time, and will focus on promising preclinical results supporting the potential use of the Company's human neural stem cells for the treatment of retinal degenerative disorders. The paper, entitled "Subretinal transplantation of human CNS stem cells leads to long-term cone-based functional rescue in the RCS rat," will summarize data demonstrating that the Company's human neural stem cells protect cone photoreceptors (cones) in the eye from progressive degeneration and preserve visual function long term. Cones are light sensing cells that are highly concentrated within the macula of the human eye, and the ability to protect these cells suggests a promising approach to treating retinal degenerative disorders such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and retinitis pigmentosa. AMD is the leading cause of vision loss and blindness in people over the age of 55, affecting an estimated 25 – 30 million people worldwide. StemCells is actively pursuing AMD as a target indication for its HuCNS-SC® product candidate (purified human neural stem cells) and is working to initiate a clinical trial in the next year or so.
StemCells scientists will also present posters on Friday, June 18 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. local time, highlighting data from the Company's Liver Program and its development of human neural stem cell-based assay platforms for use in drug discovery and development. The first poster, entitled "Biological properties of prospectively isolated human adult liver engrafting cells, SC8+ hLEC, transplanted into a mouse model of genetically-based chronic liver disease," highlights compelling preclinical data supporting the Company's development of its proprietary human liver engrafting cells as a potential treatment for a broad range of liver diseases, and as a novel platform for drug discovery and toxicity screening. This poster will be presented by Tim Austin, Ph.D., a senior scientist in the Company's Liver Program. The second poster, entitled "Validation of adherent, non-immortalized mouse and human neural stem cell technology for scale-up, automated culture and high-throughput screening in a cell proliferation/viability assay," describes the Company's validation of a neural stem cell based-assay platform, including scale-up and automation, with broad applicability for small molecule drug discovery and proof-of-concept validation. This poster will be presented by Thorsten Gorba, Ph.D., Director, CNS Assay Screening and Development.
Additionally, StemCells is exhibiting its stem cell technologies and research products at the event, including its SC Proven® specialty cell culture products, which enable leading edge stem cell research.
About ISSCR
The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) is an independent, nonprofit organization established to promote and foster the exchange and dissemination of information and ideas relating to stem cells, to encourage the general field of research involving stem cells and to promote professional and public education in all areas of stem cell research and application.
About StemCells, Inc.
StemCells, Inc. is engaged in the research, development, and commercialization of stem cell therapeutics and tools for use in stem cell-based research and drug discovery. In its cellular medicine programs, StemCells is developing therapeutic products targeting diseases of the central nervous system and liver. StemCells' lead product candidate, HuCNS-SC® cells (purified human neural stem cells), is in clinical development for the treatment of two fatal neurodegenerative disorders that primarily affect young children. StemCells also markets specialty cell culture products under the SC Proven brand, and is developing stem cell-based assay platforms for use in pharmaceutical research, drug discovery and drug development. The Company has exclusive rights to approximately 55 issued or allowed U.S. patents and over 200 granted or allowed non-U.S. patents. Further information about StemCells is available at www.stemcellsinc.com.
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Apart from statements of historical fact, the text of this press release constitutes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and is subject to the safe harbors created therein. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the potential for the Company's therapies to treat serious neurodegenerative diseases, including retinal degenerative disorders; the potential for its cell-based therapeutics to treat liver disease; the prospects and timing associated with future clinical trials; the ability of the Company to develop and commercialize stem cell-based assay platforms for use in pharmaceutical research, drug discovery and drug development; and the future business operations of the Company, including its ability to conduct clinical trials as well as its other research and product development efforts. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this news release. The Company does not undertake to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date hereof. Such statements reflect management's current views and are based on certain assumptions that may or may not ultimately prove valid. The Company's actual results may vary materially from those contemplated in such forward-looking statements due to risks and uncertainties to which the Company is subject, including uncertainty as to whether the FDA or other applicable regulatory agencies will permit the Company to continue clinical testing of its proprietary human neural stem cells given the novel and unproven nature of the Company's technologies; uncertainties regarding the ability of preclinical research, including research in animal models, to accurately predict success or failure in clinical trials; uncertainties regarding the Company's ability to obtain the increased capital resources needed to continue its current and planned research and development operations; uncertainty as to whether HuCNS-SC and any products that may be generated in the future in the Company's cell-based programs will prove safe and clinically effective and not cause tumors or other adverse side effects; uncertainties regarding the Company's ability to commercialize a therapeutic product and its ability to successfully compete with other products on the market; uncertainties regarding the Company's manufacturing capabilities given its increasing preclinical and clinical commitments; and other factors that are described under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009, and in its subsequent reports on Form 10-Q and Form 8-K.