30th Jan 2008 07:01
Stem Cell Sciences plc30 January 2008 Press Release Stem Cell Sciences Enters Agreement with Myelin Repair Foundation to Develop Sustainable Cell Sources for CNS Drug Discovery ("Stem Cell Sciences", "SCS") 30th January 2008 Stem Cell Sciences plc (AIM:STEM, ASX:STC) has entered an agreement with theMyelin Repair Foundation (MRF, Saratoga, CA) for the development of techniquesthat will lead to scalable and sustainable sources of uniform human brain cellsfor research, target validation and drug discovery assays. Being able to utilisehuman brain cells would be a significant step forward to confirm results fromanimal research experiments in demonstrating the relevance of any new drugtherapy for CNS disorders. Under the terms of the agreement, researchers at the MRF-supported Human NeuralAssay Center, located at Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, Ohio), willoptimise sustainable methods for culturing SCS' human neural stem (NS) cells andsubsequent differentiation into the three principal cell types normally found inthe brain: neurons, oligodendrocytes and astrocytes. Historically, access toprimary human brain tissue suitable for cell culture has been extremely limitedand tissue that was available has been difficult to sustain in culture. Usinghuman NS cells overcomes this problem by providing a constant, dependable andunlimited source of brain cells. Through this collaboration the parties expect to develop new methods andmaterials that can be readily utilised by the entire neuroscience community. SCShas the right to first negotiation on commercialising any new products resultingfrom this collaboration. Utilising human brain cells in place of animal cells atan initial research stage eliminates the genetic variation between species andmay significantly improve the relevancy of results in early-stage drugdiscovery. "The inherent limitations of animal models in all disease research have been asource of considerable frustration to scientists and those involved incommercial drug discovery," says MRF Chief Operating Officer Russell Bromley."The inability to achieve concordance between the results achieved in animalmodels and humans is one of the most common reasons for the failure to advanceeven the most promising drug targets into commercial development and patienttreatments," says Bromley. "SCS recognises the vision of MRF in developing a robust method based on our NScells that will ensure increased relevance of early-stage investigations andassessing their therapeutic potential," says SCS Chief Scientific Officer TimAllsopp. "It is exciting to participate in such important scientific work, whichwe hope will have a significant, lasting impact. "We are delighted to partner with SCS to accomplish our goal of developing andlicensing commercially viable drug targets that will lead to myelin repairtreatments for multiple sclerosis," Bromley added. "Equally important, however,this is a partnership that could bear fruit for research on all diseases of theCNS." - Ends - For further information, please contact: Stem Cell Sciences plc (United Kingdom) Myelin Repair FoundationAlastair Riddell CEO Carol MenakerTim Allsopp, Chief Scientific Officer + 1 408 871 2410+44 (0)1223 499160 [email protected] Halsin Partners (United Kingdom)Michael Sinclair, Director+44 (0) 20 7084 5955 Talk Biotech (Australia)Fay Weston+61 4 2220 6036 Stem Cell Sciences llc (USA)George Murphy, Vice President Business Development+1 415 495 7340 Notes to EditorsStem Cell Sciences plc (SCS, AIM:STEM, ASX:STC) is a global biotechnologycompany providing the biological infrastructure of cells and cell culture mediato the burgeoning stem cell research market. Stem Cell Sciences' core objective is to develop safe and effective cell-basedtherapies for currently incurable diseases. SCS retains all rights to itstechnology for therapeutic use and is targeting cell-based therapies forneurodegenerative disease and injury. Revenues from Stem Cell Sciences' research business are delivered via anintegrated network of business teams and regional offices in Edinburgh andCambridge (UK), Melbourne (Australia) and San Francisco (USA). This global reachprovides the Company with the direct access to markets through experiencedpersonnel and local business networks needed to drive SCS business growth ineach region. The key challenge for the successful application of stem cells in both researchand clinical applications is the reproducible supply of pure, fullycharacterised stem cells and stem cell-derived specialised cells such as nervesand muscle. This represents a significant technological challenge that willrequire access to multiple technologies and a globally integrated stem cellinitiative. To access cutting edge technologies on a rapid and on-going basis, Stem CellSciences has built an exceptional network of highly interactive collaborationswith academic centres of excellence in the stem cell field. These collaborationshave been the source of our founding technologies and continue to provide anexpanding pipeline of products and intellectual property that are central to theCompany's strategy and success. To facilitate research and technology transfer with its major collaboratingacademic institutions, Stem Cell Sciences' business and scientific teams areusually co-located on site or adjacent to the centre of excellence inindependent company facilities. The Company's key collaborating institutesinclude the Wellcome Trust Centre for Stem Cell Research (University ofCambridge), the Institute of Stem Cell Research (University of Edinburgh), RIKENCentre for Developmental Biology (Kobe) and the Australian Stem Cell Centre(Melbourne). Academic and commercial use of stem cells in basic research and drug discoveryprovides the Company with immediate and growing revenue streams and offsets thecost of technology development for full scale cell production of SCS cell-basedtherapeutics. For further information on the company please visit: www.stemcellsciences.com The Myelin Repair Foundation (MRF) - http://www.myelinrepair.org - is anon-profit medical research foundation dedicated to accelerating basic medicalresearch and its translation into myelin repair treatments that willdramatically improve the lives of people suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS).Many believe MRF's Accelerated Research CollaborationTM model could change theway in which all medical research is done. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
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