ARVO 2009 Presentations – StemCells, Inc.
April 30, 2009
StemCells, Inc. announced that a paper regarding the efficacy of transplanting human neural stem cells in an animal model of retinal degeneration will be presented at ARVO.
This study was conducted by Drs. Raymond Lund and Peter Francis, both researchers and professors at the Casey Eye Institute at Oregon Health & Science University, in collaboration with StemCells.
The paper, Long-term Efficacy of Human Central Nervous System Stem Cells Transplanted into the Subretinal Space of RCS Rats, shows that transplanted human central nervous system stem cells (hCNS-SCns) engraft long-term and can protect the retina from progressive degeneration. Retinal degeneration leads to loss of vision in diseases such as age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa. The cells were transplanted into the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rat, a well established animal model of retinal degeneration. The hCNS-SCns used in the study were supplied by the Company and were selected, purified and grown as neurospheres using the Company’s proprietary methods. StemCells is developing hCNS-SCns as a potential therapeutic product, HuCNS-SC® cells.
“This study is particularly encouraging because of the demonstration of a long-term functional effect of transplanting our neural stem cells,” said Stephen Huhn, MD, FACS, FAAP, Vice President and Head of the CNS Program at StemCells, Inc. “This data is reflective of the therapeutic potential of our cells. We have already discussed with the FDA a pathway to clinical testing of our HuCNS-SC cells for retinal indications and additional preclinical studies are underway in pursuit of that goal.”
Read the full release.
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