SAN FRANCISCO, March 3, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Amarantus Bioscience Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB:AMBS), a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of novel diagnostics and therapeutics related to endoplasmic reticulum stress, cell cycle dysregulation, neurodegeneration and apoptosis, today outlined its research collaboration strategy for MANF, the Company's flagship therapeutic protein candidate. Concurrently, the Company expanded the list of select scientific publications for MANF on its website to forty two and highlighted key abstracts focusing on the therapeutic potential for MANF in retinal degeneration from the University of Miami's Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and a new abstract from researchers at the Buck Institute on Aging. A link to this updated scientific MANF information can be found at: http://ir.stockpr.com/amarantus/scientific-publications.

"The depth of scientific research into MANF is growing on a monthly basis, and it is clear that the academic community is working to identify highly valuable potential applications for MANF in a number of areas beyond the Company's current focus," said Gerald E. Commissiong, President & CEO of Amarantus. "We are pleased to see this increasing interest in MANF, and look forward to adding to this wealth of knowledge based on studies the Company has ongoing and planned in the months ahead. We have received a number of collaboration requests to date from various institutions, and plan to forge strategic collaborations with key investigators in the field to identify the full breadth of therapeutic applications for MANF, including orphan diseases, as we continue to push MANF towards first-in-man studies."

The Company owns key issued composition of matter patents for MANF, and successfully defended these patents from a patent challenge in Europe in 2012. The Company also owns method of use patents for MANF in the area of neurology, and has acquired exclusive options and licenses to additional intellectual property covering the therapeutic use of MANF and CDNF in the area of retinal degeneration, the therapeutic use of MANF in beta cell degeneration-related disorders including Diabetes and Wolfram's Syndrome, and the use of MANF in the area of beta cell degeneration biomarker identification. The Company is pursuing a broader intellectual property strategy for MANF intended to attract key scientists working on MANF to collaborate with the Company in order to build the world's leading MANF-based collaborative effort that will inform clinical development and commercial opportunities for MANF going forward, while building shareholder value.

Following the identification of MANF's involvement in the Unfolded Protein Response (UPR) in 2007, there has been a significant increase in the scientific literature published on MANF annually. The Company believes this interest is the beginning of a larger focus in the scientific community on endoplasmic reticulum stress and modulators of UPR. Amarantus Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer discovered MANF in 2003 and is currently exploring the Company's library of PhenoGuard astrocyte cell lines to identify novel neurotrophic factors for various indications including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative diseases.

About Amarantus

Amarantus is a biotechnology company developing treatments and diagnostics for diseases associated with neurodegeneration and protein misfolding-related apoptosis. The Company has licensed Eltoprazine ("Eltoprazine"), a phase 2b ready indication for Parkinson's Levodopa induced dyskinesia and Adult ADHD. The Company has an exclusive worldwide license to the Lymphocyte Proliferation test ("LymPro Test®") for Alzheimer's disease and owns the intellectual property rights to a therapeutic protein known as Mesencephalic-Astrocyte-derived Neurotrophic Factor ("MANF") and is developing MANF-based products as treatments for brain disorders. Amarantus is a Founding Member of the Coalition for Concussion Treatment (#C4CT), a movement initiated in collaboration with Brewer Sports International seeking to raise awareness of new treatments in development for concussions and nervous-system disorders. The Company also owns intellectual property for the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease ("NuroPro") and the discovery of neurotrophic factors ("PhenoGuard"). For further information please visit www.Amarantus.com, or connect with the Company on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Google+.

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