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VistaGen Therapeutics Presents CardioSafe 3D(TM) and LiverSafe 3D(TM) Developments at International Society of Stem …

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwired - Jun 17, 2013) - VistaGen Therapeutics, Inc. (OTCQB: VSTA), a biotechnology company applying stem cell technology for drug rescue, predictive toxicology and drug metabolism assays, presented key developments involving its CardioSafe 3D and LiverSafe 3D bioassay systems in poster presentations at the 11th Annual Meeting of the International Society of Stem Cell Research(ISSCR), the largest forum for stem cell and regenerative medicine professionals from around the world, held June 12 to 15, 2013, in Boston, Massachusetts.

Dr. Hai-Qing Xian, Senior Scientist, presented VistaGen's poster entitled "Cardiotoxicity Assessment of Anti-Cancer Kinase Inhibitors using Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocyte Based Assays," which detailed important developments demonstrating that CardioSafe 3D, VistaGen's high throughput, human heart cell-based bioassay, is a clinically predictive system for preclinical cardiac safety screening of anti-cancer drug candidates, including small molecule kinase inhibitors (KIs), a new category of drugs that have revolutionized cancer therapy due to decreased systemic toxicity and increased target cell efficacy compared to classic cancer drugs, as well as other therapeutic compounds. VistaGen demonstrated the utility of CardioSafe 3D to detect cardiac toxicities of well-known anti-cancer KIs, including imatinib, dasatinib, sunitinib, erlotinib and temsirolimus, which have been associated with adverse clinical cardiac events that were not detected during the drug development process. As demonstrated in the poster presentation, CardioSafe 3D successfully detected cardiotoxicity induced by representative compounds from different KI categories.Additionally, the bioassay system provided clues to the major mechanisms of cardiac cytotoxicity induced by each compound, thus enabling not only the identification of toxicities early in the drug development process, but also discovery of potential mechanisms of action.

Dr. Kristina Bonham, Senior Scientist, Hepatocyte Biology Project Leader, presented VistaGen's poster entitled "Semi-quantitative assay of CYP3A4 allows the identification and selection of mature human stem cell derived hepatocytes," which detailed developments indicating that LiverSafe 3D, VistaGen's human liver cell-based bioassay, can monitor the induction of the key metabolic enzyme, CYP3A4, and its expression level over time. Using an optimized protocol for the differentiation of hepatocyte-like cells, VistaGen demonstrated levels of CYP3A4 mRNA approaching that in human adult liver on a per cell basis. The reported data suggest that VistaGen's liver cells have many of the functional properties of mature adult liver cells, enabling multiple functional analyses and providing a powerful system to evaluate the effects of drug candidates on CYP3A4 expression and liver function, offering a valuable aid for assessing potential drug candidates for toxicity and adverse drug-drug interactions.

H. Ralph Snodgrass, PhD, VistaGen's President and Chief Scientific Officer, stated, "For the first time, our technology has caught up with the dreams and visions we had 15 years ago when we founded VistaGen.We now have the type and quality of human cell-based biological assay systems that provide real insight into both the therapeutic and toxic effects of new drug candidates long before they are ever tested in humans. Next-generation biological assays can now provide important preclinical human data that will increase the probability of selecting safer and effective therapeutics for clinical development."

"It is evident from the mood, tone and scientific discussions throughout the ISSCR conference that this is the most exciting time in the history of stem cell research," continued Dr. Snodgrass. "We anticipate that we will see an explosion over the next ten years in the contribution of human pluripotent stem cell-based biological assays to drug development, in parallel with phenomenal advancements in the therapeutic uses of mature cells and tissues derived from human pluripotent stem cells to treat some of the most intractable human diseases and conditions. Our team is truly fortunate and excited about being a part of this transformational process."

About VistaGen Therapeutics

VistaGen is a biotechnology company applying human pluripotent stem cell technology for drug rescue, predictive toxicology and drug metabolism screening. VistaGen's drug rescue activities combine its human pluripotent stem cell technology platform, Human Clinical Trials in a Test Tube, with modern medicinal chemistry to generate novel, safer chemical variants (Drug Rescue Variants) of once-promising small molecule drug candidates. These are drug candidates discontinued by pharmaceutical companies, the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) or university laboratories, after substantial investment in discovery and development, due to heart or liver toxicity or metabolism issues. VistaGen uses its pluripotent stem cell technology to generate early indications, or predictions, of how humans will ultimately respond to new drug candidates before they are ever tested in humans, bringing human biology to the front end of the drug development process.

VistaGen's small molecule prodrug candidate, AV-101, has completed Phase 1 development for treatment of neuropathic pain. Neuropathic pain, a serious and chronic condition causing pain after an injury or disease of the peripheral or central nervous system, affects millions of people worldwide.

Visit VistaGen at http://www.VistaGen.com, follow VistaGen at http://www.twitter.com/VistaGen or view VistaGen's Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/VistaGen.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements

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VistaGen Therapeutics Presents CardioSafe 3D(TM) and LiverSafe 3D(TM) Developments at International Society of Stem ...

Qatar in breakthrough diabetes stem cell therapy

Manama: A potentially significant breakthrough in the treatment of diabetes has been made by a team of Qatar-based scientists. The scientists at Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), in collaboration with researchers at Imperial College London, have reportedly discovered a new way to instruct isolated stem cells in a laboratory setting to secrete insulin when it is needed to maintain the correct sugar level in the bodys circulation.

Diabetes is a world-wide health problem, and it is especially prevalent in Qatar, Dr Abdul Ali Haoudi, the Executive Director of QBRI and a co-author of the study, said. People with diabetes face serious medical complications, including heart disease and kidney failure. This discovery has the potential to reduce this burden by harnessing the bodys own stem cells to secrete insulin as needed to maintain proper blood sugar levels in the body. This research represents the first promising steps toward a new treatment, but it will need to go through the clinical validation before it is declared a viable therapy, he said.

The findings have just been published in Molecular Therapy-Nucleic Acids, the official journal of the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy.

Dr Nagy Habib, Scientific Director of the Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Centre at QBRI, is the lead investigator of the team of scientists at QBRI and Imperial College London that made the discovery.

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In a healthy person, insulin is produced by the pancreas in a constant proportion to remove excess glucose, or sugar, from the blood, Haoudi explained. When a person consumes more sugar-rich food, the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas (called beta cells) secrete more insulin. When a person eats less sugar, the beta cells produce less insulin. The stem cells engineered by the QBRI team behave in the same way, secreting more or less insulin, depending on glucose levels in the blood, he said.

The studies have been supported by QBRI, a member of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Comnmunity Development, established in 2012 to tackle diseases of major worldwide importance, and particularly prevalent in Qatar and the Middle East, such as diabetes and certain forms of cancer.

QBRI which has a specific focus on developing translational biomedical research and biotechnology, has set up eight research centres: Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research Centre, Genomic Medicine and Systems Biology Research Centre, Gene-based Therapy Research Centre, Biomedical Engineering Research Centre, Diabetes Research Centre, Cancer Research Centre, Genetic Diseases Research Centre, and the Qatar Biobank.

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Qatar in breakthrough diabetes stem cell therapy

A paralyzed German Shepard receives revolutionary combination stem cell treatment! – Video


A paralyzed German Shepard receives revolutionary combination stem cell treatment!
Brando, a 9 year-old German Shepard received combination stem cell therapy today at Paradise Animal Clinic by Dr. Jose Gorostiza (surgeon) and Dr. Jaime Pausa (practice owner). Brando has been...

By: Stemlogix, LLC

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A paralyzed German Shepard receives revolutionary combination stem cell treatment! - Video

Sandy Andolong credits stem cell treatment for revitalized health; supports daughter Mariel’s plan to join showbiz

Sandy Andolong credits stem cell treatment for revitalized health; supports daughter Mariel's plan to join showbiz

Marami ang natuwa sa mas batang hitsura at mas malusog na pangangatawan ngayon ni Sandy Andolong.

Kinuwento nga nito na sumailalim siya sa stem cell treatment kaya malaki ang naging improvement ng kanyang kalusugan.

Kung matatandaan ay nagkaroon ng maraming sakit si Sandy noong 2003.

She was diagnosed with kidney maladies, her large intestines had lacerations, her uterus was inflamed, there was a polyp in her gall bladder and her pituitary gland had a disorder resulting in abnormal lactation.

Muntik na nga raw sumailalim sa isang kidney transplant operation ang butihing asawa ni Christopher de Leon.

Pero dahil sa malakas na panalangin nila sa Panginoon, nagkaroon ng kasagutan ang kanilang mga dasal and ten years after, maganda na ang kalusugan ng aktres.

I went through six months of stem cell treatment. Dito lang naman sa atin ginawa kaya hindi na namin kailangang pumunta sa ibang bansa.

After the treatment, mas lumakas na ang katawan ko kasi nga bagong mga cells ang nasa loob ng katawan ko.

I feel more energized at parang nagdahilan lang ako sa sakit ko before.

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Sandy Andolong credits stem cell treatment for revitalized health; supports daughter Mariel's plan to join showbiz

Mount Sinai Researchers Succeed in Programming … – Stem Cell Cafe

New York, NY (PRWEB) June 13, 2013

By transferring four genes into mouse fibroblast cells, researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have produced cells that resemble hematopoietic stem cells, which produce millions of new blood cells in the human body every day. These findings provide a platform for future development of patient-specific stem/progenitor cells, and more differentiated blood products, for cell-replacement therapy.

The study, titled, Induction of a Hemogenic Program in Mouse Fibroblasts, was published online in CELL STEM CELL on June 13. Mount Sinai researchers screened a panel of 18 genetic factors for inducing blood-forming activity and identified a combination of four transcription factors, Gata2, Gfi1b, cFos, and Etv6 as sufficient to generate blood vessel precursor cells with the subsequent appearance of hematopoietic cells. The precursor cells express a human CD34 reporter, Sca1 and Prominin1 within a global endothelial transcription program.

The cells that we grew in a petri dish are identical in gene expression to those found in the mouse embryo and could eventually generate colonies of mature blood cells, said the first author of the study, Carlos Filipe Pereira, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow of Developmental and Regenerative Biology at the Icahn School of Medicine.

Other leaders of the research team that screened the genetic factors to find the right combination included Kateri Moore, DVM, Associate Professor of Developmental and Regenerative Biology at the Icahn School and Ihor R. Lemischka, PhD, Professor of Developmental and Regenerative Biology, Pharmacology and Systems Therapeutics and Director of The Black Family Stem Cell Institute at The Mount Sinai Medical Center.

The combination of gene factors that we used was not composed entirely of the most obvious or expected proteins, said Dr. Lemischka. Many investigators have been trying to grow hematopoietic stem cells from embryonic stem cells, but this process has been problematic. Instead, we used mature mouse fibroblasts, picked the right combination of proteins, and it worked.

This discovery is just the beginning of something new and exciting and can hopefully be used to identify a treatment for blood disorders, said Dennis S. Charney, MD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs at The Mount Sinai Medical Center.

According to Dr. Pereira, there is a critical shortage of suitable donors for blood stem cell transplants. Donors are currently necessary to meet the needs of patients suffering from blood diseases such as leukemia, aplastic anemia, lymphomas, multiple myeloma and immune deficiency disorders. Programming of hematopoietic stem cells represents an exciting alternative, said Pereira.

Dr. Lemischka and I have been working together for over 20 years in the fields of hematopoiesis and stem cell biology, said Dr. Moore, senior author of the study. It is truly exciting to be able to grow these blood forming cells in a culture dish and learn so much from them. We have already started applying this new approach to human cells and anticipate similar success.

Mount Sinai Innovation Partners is managing the intellectual property for this cell replacement technology on behalf of the Mount Sinai researchers and is actively engaged with commercial collaboration opportunities.

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Mount Sinai Researchers Succeed in Programming ... - Stem Cell Cafe

Scientists challenge patent ban for embryonic stem cell research

Scientists and lawyers in Britain are challenging a European ban on the patenting of embryonic stem cells which they believe is blocking the development of new treatments for a range of illnesses including diabetes, heart disease and Parkinsons.

They have been joined by a High Court judge who has asked the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg to clarify its decision to prevent the patenting of stem cell research involving the use and destruction of human embryos. Medical researchers and biotechnology firms are incensed by the European courts ban on stem cell patents. They say it is deterring investment in Europe while scientists in Asia forge ahead with research into new medical treatments based on embryonic stem cells.

Sir Ian Wilmut, who cloned Dolly the sheep, and Professor Austin Smith of the Wellcome Trust Centre for Stem Cell Research at Cambridge University, said that banning patents has effectively removed the protection of intellectual property that is crucial for commercial investment.

Their concerns have now been voiced by Henry Carr QC, a deputy judge of the High Court, who questioned whether the European court really understood the scientific basis of its ban, which it issued last year.

The European court ruled that German scientists could not patent a technique based on human embryonic stem cells because it involved the destruction of something capable of commencing the process of development of a human being in other words a human embryo.

However, Mr Carr said that the definition of a human embryo used by the court may be too broad because it included types of artificially created embryos that are not capable of developing into a foetus.

Stem cells have the potential to revolutionise the treatment of human disease. Because of their capacity to differentiate into almost any type of adult cell, human stem cells open the door to a wide variety of new therapies and other medical applications, Mr Carr said in his judgment on a patent appeal case. However, to exclude [from patentability] processes of development which are incapable of leading to a human being does not, in my view, strike a balance at all It is more akin to a total exclusion from patent protection of the fruits of stem cell research, to the detriment of European industry and public health.

Professor Pete Coffey of University College London, who is conducting one of the first clinical trials of stem cells to treat progressive blindness, said the ban on patenting stem cell research could harm its future development in Britain and Europe. It creates [funding problems for] this kind of translational research taking ideas from the lab into the clinic, he said.

The US Supreme Court ruled yesterday that genes extracted from the human body cannot be patented.

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Scientists challenge patent ban for embryonic stem cell research

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Industry (iPSC Market) Report Updated for 2013 Now Available at ReportsnReports.com

Dallas, Texas (PRWEB) June 13, 2013

Sales (number) of iPSC research products worldwide have been growing at a rate of 14.7% per year for the past five years. In addition, 22% of all stem cell researchers now self-report as having used induced pluripotent stem cells within a research project. It is clear that iPSCs are a vital research trend within the scientific community. A distinctive feature of this report is an end-user survey of 293 researchers (181 U.S. / 112 International) that identify as having induced pluripotent stem cells as their core research focus. These survey findings reveal iPSC researcher needs, technical preferences, key factors influencing buying decisions, and more. They can be used to make effective product development decisions, create targeted marketing messages, and produce higher prospect-to-client conversion rates.

Complete 2012-13 Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Industry Report on market metrics, dynamics, and trends says continued research and experimentation has resulted in numerous advances over the last few years. In one example, the University of Michigan announced in Circulation Research (2012) that they had developed innovative methods for use of induced pluripotent stem cells derived from skin biopsies to create cardiac muscle cells. This accomplishment quickly fueled other research into the use of iPSCs for the reversal and repair of diseased heart tissue. Similar advances will continue to be perfected for use of reprogrammed adult cells in the treatment of other diseases and disorders. Original techniques for iPSC production, such as viral induced transcription processes, are being replaced with newer technologies as private industries join with the scientific community to develop safe and efficient methods of iPSC production. With sustained research and experimentation, established guidelines for effective production of iPSC will be commonplace.

In summary, induced pluripotent stem cells represent a promising tool for use in the reversal and repair of many previously incurable diseases. This is a must-read industry report for research supply companies to optimally position themselves to sell iPSC products. To profit from this lucrative and rapidly expanding market, one needs to understand ones key strengths relative to the competition, intelligently position own products to fill gaps in the market place, and take advantage of the crucial iPSC trends. Claim this report now to profit from this expanding market - Buy / Order a copy of this report @ http://www.reportsnreports.com/Purchase.aspx?name=206575.

Key findings of this report on iPSC market include:

Companies and Research Institutes mentioned / covered in this report:

Commerical entities developing iPSC therapies: ViaCyte, Fate Therapeutic, iPerian, Cellular Dynamics and Mesoblast.

Strategic collaborations for development of iPSC products: Life Technologies, Lonza Group AG, EMD Millipore, Sigma Aldrich, Roslin Cells, Ltd., ArunA Biomedical, CeeTox and Cellular Dynamics.

Top research institutions performing stem cell research: University of Wisconsin, including WARF, WiCell, and the WISC Bank, US National Institutes of Health (NIH), Johns Hopkins University, California Institute for Regenerative Medicine and University of Connecticut Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Core (iPSCC).

Comprehensive Table of Contents and more on the report Complete 2012-13 Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Industry Report on Market Metrics, Dynamics, and Trends @ http://www.reportsnreports.com/reports/206575-complete-2012-13-induced-pluripotent-stem-cell-industry-report.html.

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Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Industry (iPSC Market) Report Updated for 2013 Now Available at ReportsnReports.com

IntelliCell BioSciences Receives US Patent for its Stem Cell Extraction Technology

NEW YORK, June 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --IntelliCell BioSciences, Inc. ("Company") (SVFC) announces that it has been notified by the US Patent office that its patent for stem cell extraction technology has been published. IntelliCell's proprietary patented method for deriving blood vessel originated vascular cells from adipose (fat) tissue by use of ultrasonic cavitation has been made official. This technology involves an innovative mechanical method for the separation of stromal vascular fraction cells from adipose (fat) tissue, without the use of enzymes. Vascular cells derived by IntelliCell's proprietary method are potentially useful in bringing the promise of regenerative medicine to many therapeutic and aesthetic procedures. Investors can access the published patent at the US Patent website by entering the patent # 8,440,440. Link to patent website: http://patft.uspto.gov/netahtml/PTO/srchnum.htm

IntelliCell's Chairman and CEO, Dr.Steven Victor, stated "Our Company is very pleased to announce today that with the publishing of our patent, our technology is now protected and we expect our international patent publication in a short time."

About IntelliCell BioSciences, Inc.

IntelliCellBioSciencesis a Regenerative Medicine company developing novel technologies that address the regenerative, curative and preventative conditions of disease states with high unmet clinical needs. The Company has several patent-pending applications including the patent that was recently published, an industry unique method of obtainingautologousstromalvascular fraction cells (SVF) cells from the vasculature surrounding adipose tissue containing adult stem cells and a robust population of regenerative healing cells. The Company is also pioneering the development ofautologousandallogeneiccells from living and non-living tissue donors for research purposes.IntelliCellis planning a series of in-human clinical studies with top tier universities for the treatment of osteoarthritis, multiple sclerosis, lower limb ischemic wounds, and gum regeneration in the oral cavity as well as medical aesthetics. The Company has developed a first in classcGTPcellular processing facility inNew York City, purpose built and designed to be fully integrated into an ambulatory surgery center.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements set forth in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, any statement that may predict, forecast, indicate, or imply future results, performance or achievements, and may contain the words "estimate," "project," "intend," "forecast," "anticipate," "plan," "planning," "expect," "believe," "will likely," "will reach," "will change," "will soon," "should," "could," "would," "may," "can" or words or expressions of similar meaning. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the company's actual results and financial position to differ materially from those included within the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including those relating to the Company's ability to grow its business. Actual results may differ materially from the results predicted and reported results should not be considered as an indication of future performance. The potential risks and uncertainties include, among others, the Company's limited operating history, the limited financial resources, domestic or global economic conditions, activities of competitors and the presence of new or additional competition, and changes in Federal or State laws. More information about the potential factors that could affect the Company's business and financial results is included in the Company's filings, available via the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

Contacts: Anna Rhodes, IntelliCell BioSciences, Inc. Phone: (646) 576-8710 Email: arhodes@intellicellbiosciences.com

Melissa Diaz, South Street Media, Inc. Phone: (917) 937-8968 Email: info@southstreetmedia.com

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IntelliCell BioSciences Receives US Patent for its Stem Cell Extraction Technology