VITA 34 International AG / Alliance
07.06.2010 08:31
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VITA 34 and Hannover Medical School start project on iPS cells
Leipzig, June 7, 2010 - The VITA 34 International AG (ISIN DE000A0BL849),
parent company of the largest private umbilical cord blood bank in the
German-speaking countries VITA 34 AG, starts a joint research project on
the production of so-called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) from
umbilical cord blood in cooperation with the Hannover Medical School (MHH).
In this project, VITA 34 and a MHH team under management of Prof. Dr.
Ulrich Martin work on the reprogramming of umbilical cord blood cells so
that they show the properties of embryonic stem cells which are then able
to evolve into different types of body tissue cells. iPS cells are
considered to be a particularly promising research approach to achieve an
efficient stem cell therapy. The project is funded by the Federal State of
Saxony and the European Regional Development Fund with an amount of almost
0.8m Euro. The project is scheduled until April 2013.
The possible potential of iPS cells has already been demonstrated in
various international research projects. By the use of umbilical cord blood
cells for the reprogramming, MHH and VITA 34 pursue an optimal research
approach, as umbilical cord blood cells - in contrast to older body cells -
are considered to be the ideal primary cells.
Prof. Dr. Ulrich Martin, manager of the project at the MHH: 'Cells from
umbilical cord blood are very young and genetically almost unaltered. We
proceed on the assumption that they are therefore predestined for
reprogramming.'
Dr. med. Eberhard Lampeter, CEO of VITA 34, adds: 'I put high hopes in the
research on the production of iPS cells from umbilical cord blood. In the
long run, we could make further big strides in stem cell therapy, which has
been developing more and more rapidly and encouragingly in the past years.
This is by the way also reflected in the increasing application of
autologous umbilical cord blood stem cells in the treatment of serious
diseases.'
Press / Investor Relation:
Axel Mühlhaus
Dr. Sönke Knop
Edicto GmbH
ZeiÃelstraÃe 19
D-60318 Frankfurt
Tel.: +49 (069) 90550550
Fax: +49 (069) 90550577
eMail: vita34@edicto.de
07.06.2010 08:31 Ad hoc announcement, Financial News and Media Release distributed by DGAP. Medienarchiv at |[![CDATA[|[a href="http://www.dgap-medientreff.de"|]www.dgap-medientreff.de|[/a|]]]|] and |[![CDATA[|[a href="http://www.dgap.de"|]www.dgap.de|[/a|]]]|]
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Language: English
Company: VITA 34 International AG
Deutscher Platz 5a
04103 Leipzig
Deutschland
Phone: +49(0341)48792-40
Fax: +49(0341)48792-39
E-mail: info@vita34.de
Internet: www.vita34.de
ISIN: DE000A0BL849
WKN: A0BL84
Listed: Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr
in Berlin, Düsseldorf, München, Hamburg, Stuttgart
End of News DGAP News-Service
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DGAP-News: VITA 34 International AG: VITA 34 and Hannover Medical School start project on iPS cells
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