Banking of Non-Controversial Neonatal Stem Cells Increases.Business Editors/Health & Medical Writers RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--Aug. 6, 2001 Institut J. Bordet (ULB) Brussels, Belgium becomes the fourth cord blood bank in Belgium and the tenth in Europe to adopt THERMOGENESIS thermogenesis /ther·mo·gen·e·sis/ (-jen´e-sis) the production of heat, especially within the animal body.thermogenet´icthermogen´ic ther·mo·gen·e·sis n. CORP.'s BioArchive(R) System THERMOGENESIS CORP. (Nasdaq:KOOL KOOL Kentucky Offender Online Lookup KOOL K-Based Object Oriented Language ) announced the receipt of an order for a BioArchive System from the Institut J. Bordet ("ULB") in Brussels, Belgium under the direction of Dr. Alain Del Forge. The system was purchased to process and archive units of neonatal stem cells sourced from placental/cord blood ("PCB PCB: see polychlorinated biphenyl. PCB in full polychlorinated biphenyl Any of a class of highly stable organic compounds prepared by the reaction of chlorine with biphenyl, a two-ring compound. ") as part of a joint project with the Catholic University of Louvain ("UCL") in Brussels. This will be the fourth BioArchive System chosen by a PCB stem cell bank in Belgium, joining identical systems at the UCL and university hospitals in Liege and Leuven. According to Philip Coelho, chairman and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of THERMOGENESIS CORP., "There are in fact three distinct sources of stem cells: embryonic (from embryos and fetuses), adult (from donations of adult tissue, bone marrow or blood), and neonatal (from placenta and umbilical cord blood umbilical cord blood Transplantation A source of primitive and stem cells that can be used to reconstitute BM destroyed by aplastic anemia or by RT or chemotherapy for CA, lymphoproliferative malignancies. See Bone marrow transplantation, Stem cell therapy. ). What particularly distinguishes the stem cells in donated cord blood is that, in biological age and proliferative capacity, these neonatal stem cells are much closer to embryonic tissue than adult stem cells and, since the placenta and umbilical cord are normally discarded, it is the only source of stem cells that can be collected without risk to any donor." Elsewhere in Europe, BioArchive Systems have been placed at the major Cord Blood Stem Cell Banks in Germany This is a list of banks in Germany; see also: (Association of German banks) Europe's financial center in Frankfurt am Main is home to the Euro and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, as well as base of operations for various financial institutions: Central banks The company estimates that more than 70% of the cord blood stem cell transplants performed to date are from Cord Blood Banks that are now using the BioArchive System, which demonstrates that the BioArchive System is the international choice for collecting, processing, and archiving cryopreserved hematopoietic stem cells sourced from PCB. PCB stem cells are used to restore immune systems of patients who have undergone high-dose chemotherapy and radiation to combat diseases such as leukemias, lymphomas, diverse inherited anemias, such as sickle cell anemia sickle cell anemia n. A chronic, usually fatal inherited form of anemia marked by crescent-shaped red blood cells, occurring almost exclusively in Blacks, and characterized by fever, leg ulcers, jaundice, and episodic pain in the joints. and thalassemia Thalassemia Definition Thalassemia describes a group of inherited disorders characterized by reduced or absent amounts of hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein inside the red blood cells. , and other genetic diseases. Dr. James Godsey, president and COO of THERMOGENESIS CORP. commented, "We are pleased that the ULB has chosen to use the BioArchive System for their cord blood banking program." Dr. Godsey further noted, "We continue to implement our strategic plan of installing a worldwide base of BioArchive Systems. We derive additional disposable product revenue and equipment revenue as these customers continue to grow their PCB cell therapy programs. Since many of these programs are government funded, gaining entry puts us in the favorable position of securing the customers because of the desire for standardization." Regulatory Status The BioArchive System is a Class II blood component freezer exempt from the pre-market notification procedures. The BioArchive System has potential applications involving archiving, storing, managing and retrieving other kinds of biological specimens, that may include stem cells, dendritic cells, T-cells, cell lines, male sperm cells, female eggs, heart valves, corneas, virus samples, biopsy samples and other blood, tissue and saliva samples. The BioArchive System is currently intended for preservation of blood components and blood products and would require FDA FDA abbr. Food and Drug Administration FDA, n.pr See Food and Drug Administration. FDA, n.pr the abbreviation for the Food and Drug Administration. pre-market clearance or approval for additional indications for use in the United States. About THERMOGENESIS CORP. THERMOGENESIS CORP. has been a pioneer in designing, manufacturing and distributing equipment to collect, cryopreserve cry·o·pre·serve tr.v. cry·o·pre·served, cry·o·pre·serv·ing, cry·o·pre·serves To preserve (cells or tissue, for example) by freezing at very low temperatures. and archive highly sensitive blood products and biological tissue for more than 10 years. The statements contained in this release which are not historical facts are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, certain delays beyond the company's control with respect to market acceptance of new technologies and products, delays in testing and evaluation of products, and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. |
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