StemCells Technology Furthers Research into Alzheimer's Disease and Spinal Cord Injuries
Scientists Receive up to $1.9 Million in NIH Grants For Research Using StemCells' Human Neural Stem Cells
PALO ALTO, Calif., Sep 20, 2004 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- StemCells, Inc. (Nasdaq:STEM) reports that the National Institutes
of Health (NIH) has awarded new grants focusing on the use of the
Company's proprietary human neural stem cells. StemCells was awarded a
Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant for studies in
Alzheimer's disease to be conducted by Dr. George A. Carlson of the
McLaughlin Research Institute in Great Falls, Montana. The
Reeve-Irvine Center at the University of California-Irvine received a
multi-year grant to fund new studies by Drs. Aileen J. Anderson and
Brian J. Cummings of the human central nervous system stem cell
(hCNS-SC) grafts in the treatment of spinal cord injuries. Both NIH
grants will continue established collaborations between StemCells and
Drs. Carlson, Anderson and Cummings.
"Our role is to support these studies with the highest quality
human central nervous system stem cells available, which we have
successfully identified, purified and characterized using our
proprietary library of monoclonal antibodies," said Martin McGlynn,
President and CEO of StemCells, Inc. "Our stem cells will be used to
further the work done to date that suggests enormous potential for our
stem cell technology in the treatment of spinal cord injuries and
Alzheimer's disease. Much research remains to be done and we are very
pleased that the NIH has recognized the importance of this research
with these highly prestigious grants."
Dr. Carlson's work testing hCNS-SC in mouse models for Alzheimer's
disease therapy could determine the feasibility and utility of
treatment using neural cell transplants. The Company has been working
with Dr. Carlson over the past few years to develop the necessary
animal models and reagents for this study. The model is an
immunodeficient transgenic mouse that over-expresses the human AB
peptide, which accumulates and forms amyloid plaques. This phenomenon
is also seen in Alzheimer's patients. The mouse model therefore should
provide a meaningful opportunity to study the effect of transplanted
human neural cells in an environment where the human AB peptide is
being over-expressed in the brains of mice. The STTR grant is for
approximately $465,000 over one and one half years.
Initial spinal cord studies by Drs. Anderson and Cummings
demonstrated both an improvement in motor function of injured mice
transplanted with hCNS-SC compared with controls, and a correlation
between the degree of improvement and the number of hCNS-SCs that are
present in the spinal cord. StemCells funded those studies under a
subcontract from the Small Business Innovation Research award the
Company received last year from the NIH. The goal of the new project
will be to follow up those studies by establishing the mechanism of
spinal cord injury recovery after hCNS-SC grafts. The grant is for
approximately $1.4 million over five years, subject, as with all
federal grants, to availability of funds and satisfactory progress.
About Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's is a complex, fatal disease involving progressive cell
degeneration, beginning with the loss of brain cells that control
thought, memory and language. The disease, which currently has no
cure, was first described in 1906 by German physician Dr. Alois
Alzheimer, who discovered amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles
in the brain of a woman who died of an unusual mental illness. Today
these tangles and plaques are considered hallmarks of Alzheimer's
disease, which is the leading cause of dementia and currently affects
approximately 4.5 million Americans.
About Spinal Cord Injuries
The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center estimates that
there are about 11,000 new cases of spinal cord injury each year in
the U.S. and about 200,000 patients who are living with prior spinal
cord injuries. In a 1997 NIH Guide, the yearly cost of long-term,
specialized care for paralyzed patients was estimated to exceed $10
billion, while "the personal costs to patients and their families are
beyond calculation ..."
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StemCells, Inc.
Martin McGlynn, 650-475-3100
Chief Executive Officer
or
Investor Relations:
Lippert/Heilshorn & Associates
Ina McGuinness or Bruce Voss, 310-691-7100
imcguinness@lhai.com
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