It saved Ciaran, but America split on stem-cell cure

When news emerged last week that 13-year-old Ciaran Finn-Lynch is healthy two years on from having revolutionary stem-cell surgery to replace his windpipe, Atlanta's Erica Lyles Greene, whose brother underwent a similar procedure last November, had words of praise for the teen.

"Thank you for being so brave," Erica said of young Ciaran. "He did it two years ago. And how amazing is it that he is alive and well? This is exactly what my brother had hoped for."

Christopher Lyles (30) was diagnosed with a rare form of tracheal cancer in June 2011. Over the next three months, he endured 33 rounds of radiation treatment and seven of chemotherapy.

Finally, his doctors informed him that the tumour was too big to operate on and that they could do no more.

Erica and an aunt began trawling the internet for possible cures, when they came across Dr Paolo Macchiarini, the director of the Advanced Center for Translational Regenerative Medicine at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, who was at the cutting-edge of tracheal transplants.

Amazingly, in spite of the fact that reports about Dr Macchiarini's work were easily found on the internet, Christopher's doctors hadn't a clue about it.

"They had no idea that someone was performing tracheal transplants," Erica said. "And they said 'It's in Europe. Why are you looking there? That's kinda kooky.' And we said 'No, it's not'."

Stem-cell research has been contested terrain in America for decades. The battle has largely revolved around the issue of embryonic stem-cells.

Pro-life activists have waged a very active campaign to block the use of embryonic stem-cell use, insisting that life begins at conception and that destroying an embryo is, therefore, taking a human life.

Stem-cell research in the US still lags behind efforts in other parts of the world.

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It saved Ciaran, but America split on stem-cell cure

StemCells, Inc. Broadens HuCNS-SC(R) Patent Portfolio With Key Patent in Japan

NEWARK, Calif., July 31, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- StemCells, Inc. (STEM) today announced that the Japan Patent Office has granted to the Company Patent Number 5007003, titled "Enriched Central Nervous System Stem Cell and Progenitor Cell Populations, and Methods for Identifying, Isolating and Enriching for Such Populations." The patent broadly covers the prospective isolation and enrichment of neural stem and progenitor cells using antibody selection, as well as the use of these cells to treat disorders of the central nervous system. Some of the more noteworthy claims in the '003 patent include methods for isolating human neural stem cells, as well as compositions of matter comprising enriched neural stem cells, such as the Company's proprietary HuCNS-SC cells, and the use of enriched neural stem cells as a medicament for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, acute brain injury and dysfunction of the central nervous system. The invention claimed by the '003 patent was the result of groundbreaking research conducted by the Company's stem cell researchers, including Nobuko Uchida, Ph.D., Vice President of Stem Cell Biology at StemCells, Inc., who is a named inventor on the patent. The patent term of the '003 patent extends into 2020.

"The issuance of the '003 patent in Japan further strengthens our intellectual property position around our neural stem cell technology," said Martin McGlynn, President and CEO of StemCells, Inc. "Our HuCNS-SC clinical development program continues to move forward, targeting such conditions as Alzheimer's disease, spinal cord injury, myelin disorders, and diseases of the eye. This patent is another testament to the excellent and innovative science conducted by our researchers, who are leaders in the field of stem cell biology and, like the rest of our IP portfolio, will help to protect the significant investment we have made in developing our unique neural stem cell technology."

The Company's patent portfolio consists of approximately 40 issued U.S. patents, 250 issued foreign patents and active patent prosecution in over 14 distinct patent families claiming different types of stem and progenitor cells, cell culture media, stem cell research tools and techniques, and similar technologies. The Company's issued neural stem cell patents broadly cover human neural stem cells irrespective of whether they were derived from embryonic, juvenile or adult tissue, or derived using presently known induced pluripotent stem cell (iPS) technologies. The Company's neural stem and progenitor cell patents cover (i) compositions of matter, (ii) methods of manufacture (isolation, proliferation, purification, genetic modification, etc.), and (iii) methods of use, including the use of these cells both as therapeutics and as tools for drug screening and testing.

About StemCells, Inc.

StemCells, Inc. is engaged in the research, development, and commercialization of cell-based therapeutics and tools for use in stem cell-based research and drug discovery. The Company's lead therapeutic product candidate, HuCNS-SC(R) cells (purified human neural stem cells), is currently in development as a potential treatment for a broad range of central nervous system disorders. In a Phase I clinical trial in Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease (PMD), a fatal myelination disorder in children, the Company has shown preliminary evidence of progressive and durable donor-derived myelination in all four patients transplanted with HuCNS-SC cells. The Company is also conducting a Phase I/II clinical trial in chronic spinal cord injury in Switzerland and recently reported positive interim safety data for the first patient cohort. The Company has also initiated a Phase I/II clinical trial in dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and is pursuing preclinical studies in Alzheimer's disease. StemCells also markets stem cell research products, including media and reagents, under the SC Proven(R) brand. Further information about StemCells is available at http://www.stemcellsinc.com.

The StemCells, Inc. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=7014

Apart from statements of historical fact, the text of this press release constitutes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and is subject to the safe harbors created therein. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the prospect of enforcing the Company's intellectual property against infringers, the potential breadth and length of patent protection in Japan or in any other geography; the likelihood that any of the Company's intellectual property will be found to be valid and enforceable; and whether the Company will be able to manufacture HuCNS-SC cells consistently and as needed to conduct the Company's on-going clinical studies. 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 the Company's ability to obtain the increased capital resources needed to continue its current operations and to conduct the research, preclinical development and clinical trials necessary for regulatory approvals and for continued patent prosecution efforts; uncertainty regarding the validity and enforceability of the Company's existing patents; the fact that additional trials will be required to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the Company's HuCNS-SC cells for the treatment of any disease or disorder; uncertainty as to whether the FDA or other applicable regulatory agencies will permit the Company to continue clinical testing in spinal cord injury, age related macular degeneration or in future clinical trials of proposed therapies for other diseases or conditions; uncertainties regarding the Company's ability to commercialize a therapeutic product and its ability to successfully compete with other products on the market; and other factors that are described under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, and in its subsequent reports on Form 10-Q and Form 8-K.

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StemCells, Inc. Broadens HuCNS-SC(R) Patent Portfolio With Key Patent in Japan

Stem cell therapy could offer new hope for defects and injuries to head, mouth

ScienceDaily (July 30, 2012) In the first human study of its kind, researchers found that using stem cells to re-grow craniofacial tissues -- mainly bone -- proved quicker, more effective and less invasive than traditional bone regeneration treatments.

Researchers from the University of Michigan School of Dentistry and the Michigan Center for Oral Health Research partnered with Ann Arbor-based Aastrom Biosciences Inc. in the clinical trial, which involved 24 patients who required jawbone reconstruction after tooth removal.

Patients either received experimental tissue repair cells or traditional guided bone regeneration therapy. The tissue repair cells, called ixmyelocel-T, are under development at Aastrom, which is a U-M spinout company.

"In patients with jawbone deficiencies who also have missing teeth, it is very difficult to replace the missing teeth so that they look and function naturally," said Darnell Kaigler, principal investigator and assistant professor at the U-M School of Dentistry. "This technology and approach could potentially be used to restore areas of bone loss so that missing teeth can be replaced with dental implants."

William Giannobile, director of the Michigan Center for Oral Health Research and chair of the U-M Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, is co-principal investigator on the project.

The treatment is best suited for large defects such as those resulting from trauma, diseases or birth defects, Kaigler said. These defects are very complex because they involve several different tissue types -- bone, skin, gum tissue -- and are very challenging to treat.

The main advantage to the stem cell therapy is that it uses the patient's own cells to regenerate tissues, rather than introducing human-made, foreign materials, Kaigler said.

The results were promising. At six and 12 weeks following the experimental cell therapy treatment, patients in the study received dental implants. Patients who received tissue repair cells had greater bone density and quicker bone repair than those who received traditional guided bone regeneration therapy.

In addition, the experimental group needed less secondary bone grafting when getting their implants.

The cells used for the therapy were originally extracted from bone marrow taken from the patient's hip. The bone marrow was processed using Aastrom's proprietary system, which allows many different cells to grow, including stem cells. These stem cells were then placed in different areas of the mouth and jaw.

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Stem cell therapy could offer new hope for defects and injuries to head, mouth