BioE, University of Southern California Collaborate to Develop Non-Embryonic Stem Cell Therapies for Neurodegenerative Diseases.Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers BIOWIRE2K ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 23, 2004 BioE to provide proprietary stem cells stem cells, unspecialized human or animal cells that can produce mature specialized body cells and at the same time replicate themselves. Embryonic stem cells are derived from a blastocyst (the blastula typical of placental mammals; see embryo), which is very young from 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. , stem cell stem cell In living organisms, an undifferentiated cell that can produce other cells that eventually make up specialized tissues and organs. There are two major types of stem cells, embryonic and adult. processing technology and research support to university BioE(R), Inc., a biotechnology company that develops antibody-based diagnostics and therapeutics, announced today it has entered into a collaborative research agreement with the University of Southern California The U.S. News & World Report ranked USC 27th among all universities in the United States in its 2008 ranking of "America's Best Colleges", also designating it as one of the "most selective universities" for admitting 8,634 of the almost 34,000 who applied for freshman admission (USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code. ) to support the development of non-embryonic stem cell therapies for neurodegenerative diseases neurodegenerative diseases diseases characterized by neurodegeneration. Lesions are microscopic only but in chronic disease with massive involvement there may be grossly visible atrophy of affected nervous tissue. , including multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease or Parkinsonism, degenerative brain disorder first described by the English surgeon James Parkinson in 1817. When there is no known cause, the disease usually appears after age 40 and is referred to as Parkinson's disease. , spinal cord injuries, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) (ā'mīətrōf`ik, sklĭrō`sĭs) or motor neuron disease, (ALS Als (äls), Ger. Alsen, island, 121 sq mi (313 sq km), Sønderjylland co., S Denmark, in the Lille Bælt, separated from the mainland by the narrow Alensund. or Lou Gehrig's disease Lou Geh·rig's disease n. See amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. ) and stroke. Millions of people worldwide suffer from neurodegenerative diseases and current treatments only aim to halt the progression of these conditions. To aid USC's therapeutic development efforts in restoring or renewing tissue and organs damaged by these diseases, BioE will provide its proprietary stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood; its PrepaCyte(R)-CB stem cell processing system; and research support to the university. "We are very excited to be working with BioE to develop umbilical cord umbilical cord (ŭmbĭl`ĭkəl), cordlike structure about 22 in. (56 cm) long in the pregnant human female, extending from the abdominal wall of the fetus to the placenta. stem cell therapies for neurodegenerative disease Neurodegenerative disease A disease in which the nervous system progressively and irreversibly deteriorates. Mentioned in: Amnesia ," said Professor Leslie Weiner, M.D., Richard Angus Grant Sr. Chair of Neurology and Leslie P. Weiner Chair in Neurology, Keck School of Medicine of USC The Keck School of Medicine is the medical school at the University of Southern California. Founded in 1885 as the USC College of Medicine, it was closed in 1921 and reopened in 1928 as the USC School of Medicine. . "Umbilical cord blood is a rich source of stem cells that may afford several potentially important advantages over embryonic or fetal stem cells, notably its abundance and genetic diversity, as well as the potential of cord blood stem cells cord blood stem cells Umbilical cord blood Hematology A therapeutic 'agent' containing concentrated hematopoietic stem cells for Pts with BM depleted–'wiped out' by disease; they are transfused into HLA-identical siblings and used to reconstitute the BM of to develop into neuronal cell populations that can replace diseased neurons in central nervous system (CNS See Continuous net settlement. CNS See continuous net settlement (CNS). ) disorders. Through this collaboration, we hope to move closer to using cord blood cord blood n. Blood present in the umbilical vessels at the time of delivery. to pilot a new generation of treatments in regenerative medicine." BioE's PrepaCyte-CB stem cell processing system is ideally suited for regenerative medicine applications because the process results in increased recovery and higher purity of stem cells that retain their innate cellular functionality compared to traditional cell separation methods. "Our relationship with USC holds great promise for the development of therapies that may restore tissue and organ function for numerous people suffering from neurodegenerative diseases," said Michael Haider, president and chief executive officer for BioE. "Supplying both the potentially therapeutic stem cells, as well as the unique cell separation technology, in this collaborative initiative further supports our company's dedication to developing powerful and innovative technologies that improve patient outcomes and quality of life. Furthermore, as stem cell research continues to progress, the advantage of using umbilical cord blood stem cells has become increasingly apparent." Benefits of Umbilical Cord Blood Stem Cells -- Umbilical cord blood is readily available and non-controversial. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, approximately four million births occurred in the United States in 2002. In addition, most stem-cell-rich umbilical cord blood is discarded. -- Umbilical cord blood is a highly enriched source of hematopoietic hematopoietic /he·ma·to·poi·et·ic/ (-poi-et´ik) 1. pertaining to hematopoiesis. 2. an agent that promotes hematopoiesis. hematopoietic 1. pertaining to or affecting the formation of blood cells. and non-hematopoietic stem cells that have exhibited properties previously attributed to embryonic stem cells such as the necessary plasticity (capable of building tissue) to repopulate and restore organ function in a variety of animal models and, more recently, in human clinical settings. These properties are thought to be less evident in stem cells derived from adult sources such as bone marrow. -- Congress supports medical research involving umbilical cord blood stem cells. In July and October of 2003, the Cord Blood Stem Cell Act of 2003 was introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate respectively. Legislation would provide funds to establish a National Cord Blood Stem Cell Bank Network. The Network would consist of highly qualified cord blood banking centers to prepare, store and distribute human umbilical cord blood stem cells for the treatment of patients and to support peer-reviewed research using such cells. Recently Congress passed an omnibus appropriations bill with $10 million in funds to assist in this undertaking. About PrepaCyte-CB Stem Cell Processing Technology PrepaCyte-CB for cord blood is the most advanced product derived from BioE's PrepaCyte cell processing platform. This proprietary technology platform is an antibody-based, closed, liquid reagent system that can be used in multiple cell processing applications to separate and collect therapeutically important cells, including hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic stem cells, and T-cells from a variety of human blood sources. It differs from traditional methods of separating cells from blood sources that often require either the mechanical or chemical manipulation of cells, which can result in the loss of desired cells or undesired alterations in their biological activity. Instead, when mixed with a blood source, such as umbilical cord blood, peripheral blood peripheral blood Cardiology Blood circulating in the system/body or bone marrow, PrepaCyte causes unwanted cells to settle to the bottom of the container, leaving desired cells in the upper fraction of the solution. This process allows stem cells or T-cells to be easily removed for further processing prior to therapeutic use in humans, and results in increased quantities and higher purity of cells that retain their innate cellular functionality. Multiple proprietary products are rapidly derived from the platform by adjusting the unique components of the reagent system. PrepaCyte-CB is currently on track to become the first U.S. Food and Drug Administration (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. )-compliant cell separation product of its kind. About BioE Founded in 1993, BioE (www.bioe.com) is a biotechnology company headquartered in St. Paul, Minn. that develops antibody-based diagnostic and therapeutic technologies that improve patient outcomes and quality of life. BioE has three primary technology platforms that are used to develop diagnostic and therapeutic products across a wide variety of medical specialties. Its cell processing technology separates and recovers therapeutically important cells, including stem cells, from various blood sources such as umbilical cord blood, circulating peripheral blood or bone marrow. These cells are used in medical research, transplantation and regenerative medicine. The company has also patented a diagnostic technology that simultaneously, but independently, detects both members of a binding pair, such as in an immune complex, receptor/ligand pair or nucleic acid protein complex within a biological sample -- enabling early disease diagnosis. Additionally, BioE is developing an Alzheimer's disease diagnostic (currently the subject of U.S. clinical trials) that may determine through a simple, inexpensive blood test if a patient has or will develop the disease. For more information on BioE, please call (800) 350-6466. About the Keck School of Medicine of USC Founded in 1885, the Keck School of Medicine of USC is a major center for basic and clinical biomedical research, especially in the fields of cancer, gene therapy, the neurosciences and metabolic disease. The school today has more than 1,100 full-time faculty members and a voluntary faculty of more than 3,700 physicians. These faculty direct the studies of approximately 650 medical students and more than 400 students pursuing graduate degrees. The school's postgraduate programs provide training for 1,300 residents fellows and interns annually. The Keck School of Medicine has meant better health for people around the globe in all fields of medical care. Through 14 affiliated hospitals, USC physicians serve more than one million patients each year. Hospitals staffed by USC physicians include USC University Hospital, USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and Hospital, Doheny Eye Institute, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and the Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center, one of the largest teaching hospitals in the nation. |
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