Golden, Colorado - (ACCESSWIRE - September 10, 2013) - Vitro Diagnostics, Inc. (VODG), dba Vitro Biopharma, announced expansion of its current product lines and product development in additional market segments including drug discovery & development together with select opportunities within regenerative medicine market sectors. Vitro's present products target markets within stem cell and cancer research. We provide basic research tools including cell lines, cell culture media and assays of cellular function. We have recently added cancer-associated fibroblast cell lines and novel cell culture media formulations broadening our product offerings for research. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are non-tumor cells within cancerous tumors that promote tumor growth and metastasis.

Also, new evidence, including research using Vitro Biopharma's cell lines, suggest that CAFs mediate immunoprotection of tumor cells and are thus new therapeutic targets for aggressive forms of cancer including pancreatic cancer. We have recently added two new CAF cell lines to our catalog that are derived from ovarian and endometrial cancers. Our specialized culture media for primary cell growth compliments our new products by allowing our customers to derive more cells in a shorter time period accelerating the rate of research using our CAFs.

A recent publication involving a specific type of cancer-associated fibroblast (stellate cell) showed that these cells specifically suppress immune responses to pancreatic cancer cells. New cancer therapies may involve inactivation of this immunosuppressive effect of pancreatic stellate cells.

One of Vitro Biopharma's products was used in this research study that was recently published in Cancer Research (Vol. 73(10): 3007-3018, 2013).

Additional newly launched cell culture media products bolster Vitro Biopharma's offerings for broader use in stem cell research, MSC differentiation and maintenance of quiescence that is more typical of native stem cell niches. Dr. Jim Musick, Vitro Biopharma's President & CEO, said, "We are pleased to offer expanded products for research including CAFs and additional cell culture media formulations. We are also developing further extensions of our existing products to target markets in drug discovery and development.

These products are cell-based assay systems that authentically represent human skeletal-muscular cellular systems for use in drug discovery and development. Our initial products target applications in new treatments of osteoporosis, a significant medical problem with considerable opportunity for new drugs with enhanced efficacy and reduced side-effects. Our novel stem cell-based assays are well suited for interface with various analytical bio-informatic systems to optimize high throughput modern drug discovery focused on specific biological targets resulting in increased drug efficacy with reduced side-effects and toxicity.

We also maintain active development of products for use in regenerative medicine including media and novel pluripotent stem cell lines derived from adult tissues." Pete Shuster, a Vitro Biopharma Director, said these are a great addition to Neuromics' Cell Based Assay Solutions. The demand for cells has exceeded expectations and the feedback from customers has been positive. Our stem and primary cell offerings are our fastest growing segment. CAFs will help fuel this growth. These cells move us closer to having novel solutions to improve the drug discovery and development process.

Working with Vitro Biopharma, we have indentified the need for assays that more closely mimic in vivo environments for drug discovery and development. Our goal is to help biopharma companies integrate these assays in their high throughput screening processes. The release of these CAFs is an important milestone towards our reaching this goal."

About Vitro Biopharma Vitro Diagnostics, Inc. dba Vitro Biopharma (OTCQB: VODG; http://www.vitrobiopharma.com/), owns US patents for production of FSH, immortalization of pituitary cells, and a cell line that produces beta islets for use in treatment of diabetes. In 2011, Vitro Biopharma out-licensed its intellectual property related to treatment of infertility to Dr. James Posillico, a renowned expert in Assisted Reproductive Technologies. Vitro Biopharma also owns a pending US patent for generation of pluripotent stem cells and an additional pending patent for methods of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) generation and related materials. Vitro Biopharma's mission is "Harnessing the Power of Cells(TM)" for the advancement of regenerative medicine to its full potential. Vitro Biopharma operates within a modern biotechnology manufacturing, R&D and corporate facility in Golden, Colorado. Vitro Biopharma manufactures and sells "Tools for Stem Cell and Drug Development(TM)", including human mesenchymal stem cells and derivatives, the MSC-Gro Brand of optimized media for MSC self-renewal and lineage-specific differentiation.

In addition to our FSH patent licensee, Vitro Biopharma maintains several strategic partnerships including an alliance with Neuromics, Inc. (http://www.neuromics.com/). Neuromics, Inc. is a primary distributor of Vitro Biopharma products and a well established manufacturer and distributor of a large variety of life science research products especially focused on cell-based assay systems We jointly manufacture stem cell assay systems with HemoGenix(R), Inc. (http://www.hemogenix.com/), known as the LUMENESC(TM) quantitative assay for determination of MSC quality, potency and response to toxic agents.

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Vitro Biopharma Expands its Product Lines While Targeting New Stem Cell Markets