PALO ALTO, Calif., June 10, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- StemCells, Inc. (Nasdaq:STEM) announced today that newly published independent research demonstrates that its GS2-M™ cell culture media formulation enhances the pluripotency of human embryonic stem (ES) and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. The Company's GS2-M medium has already been shown to enable the derivation and long-term maintenance of mouse iPS cells. With this new application of GS2-M, researchers may now be able to significantly advance human pluripotent stem cell research.
Specifically, researchers at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research1 in Cambridge, Massachusetts have recently succeeded in pushing human stem cells back to a more naive state similar to that of mouse ES cells by using a GS2-M based culture media in combination with specific compounds. Conventional human ES and iPS cells are considered to be more mature than mouse ES cells or 'primed' for differentiation into other cell types, which makes them more difficult to manipulate and study. Consequently, stem cell researchers often use mouse ES cells because they are easy to access, work with and provide a means to study human disease states such as cancer, diabetes and dementia through precise gene manipulation. However, mouse and human pluripotent cells have significant biological differences due largely to the different media in which they are cultured. As a result, it is often not possible to reproduce results in human cells as those achieved in mouse cells. With this discovery by the Whitehead Institute, researchers can now achieve and maintain a naive state with human ES and iPS cells approaching the flexibility of mouse ES cells.
"We congratulate the Whitehead Institute researchers on this important discovery, and are pleased to announce this expanded application for our GS2-M product," said Stewart Craig, Senior Vice President, Development and Operations at StemCells, Inc. "With the addition of two simple molecules to our GS2-M media formulation, researchers can now achieve an 'apples to apples' comparison when exploring the biology of naive human and mouse pluripotent stem cells. This is particularly important for analyzing in vitro data between mouse and human cells and for the study of certain diseases, a comparison previously not possible due to the differences in human and mouse pluripotent cells resulting from methods used for their culture."
GS2-M is a completely defined, serum-free media containing selective small molecule inhibitors that block differentiation-inducing signals and promote cell survival and expansion. GS2-M has been shown to:
- Efficiently convert human primed ES or iPS cells into fully pluripotent stem cells in the presence of forskolin and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF)1
- Efficiently convert partially reprogrammed, or 'pre-iPS', mouse cells into fully pluripotent stem cells in the presence of LIF2,3
- Maintain naive human and mouse ES and IPS cells in a definitive pluripotent 'ground state' in long-term culture1,2,3,4
The GS2-M media formulation is based on the '2i' technology4 developed by prominent academic researchers in the United Kingdom, and exclusively licensed to StemCells, Inc. For more information about GS2-M and the Company's other SC Proven® specialty cell culture products, interested parties are invited to visit www.scproven.com.
About StemCells, Inc.
StemCells, Inc. is engaged in the research, development, and commercialization of stem cell therapeutics and tools for use in stem cell-based research and drug discovery. In its cellular medicine programs, StemCells is developing therapeutic products targeting diseases of the central nervous system and liver. StemCells' lead product candidate, HuCNS-SC® cells (purified human neural stem cells), is in clinical development for the treatment of two fatal neurodegenerative disorders that primarily affect young children. StemCells also markets specialty cell culture products under the SC Proven brand, and is developing stem cell-based assay platforms for use in pharmaceutical research, drug discovery and drug development. The Company has exclusive rights to approximately 55 issued or allowed U.S. patents and over 200 granted or allowed non-U.S. patents. Further information about StemCells is available at www.stemcellsinc.com.
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References
(1) Hanna J, et al. Human embryonic stem cells with biological and epigenetic characteristics similar to those of mouse ES cells. PNAS 107(20): 9222-7, 2010.
(2) Silva J, et al. Promotion of Reprogramming to Ground State Pluripotency by Signal Inhibition. PLoS Biology 6: e253, 2008.
(3) Silva J, et al. Nanog is the Gateway to the Pluripotent Ground State. Cell 138(4): 722-737, 2009.
(4) Smith A. Design Principles of Pluripotency. EMBO Molecular Medicine 1(5):251-4, 2009.
Apart from statements of historical fact, the text of this press release constitutes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. securities laws, and is subject to the safe harbors created therein. These statements include, but are not limited to, the ability of GS2-M to enable the derivation and long-term maintenance of mouse iPS cells and human pluripotent stem cells, enhance the pluripotency of human stem cells, and facilitate researchers' efforts to advance human embryonic stem cell research; the clinical development of its HuCNS-SC cells; the Company's ability to commercialize drug discovery and drug development tools; and the future business operations of the Company. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this news release. The Company does not undertake to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date hereof. Such statements reflect management's current views and are based on certain assumptions that may or may not ultimately prove valid. The Company's actual results may vary materially from those contemplated in such forward-looking statements due to risks and uncertainties to which the Company is subject, including those described under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009 and in its subsequent reports on Form 10-Q and Form 8-K.