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Provocative Biotech Exposition Reveals Significant Advancements in Stem Cell Research, Immunotherapy, Targeted …

By Stem Cell Treatment

STAMFORD, CT--(Marketwire - Oct 3, 2012) - Noble Financial Capital Markets (Noble) announced today that it has released a full high definition video catalog of its Life Sciences Exposition, BIOX, an investor exposition that was held at the University of Connecticut in Stamford, CT on September 24-25, 2012. In addition to the participation of more than two dozen biotechnology companies, the event featured world renowned key opinion leaders Dr. Mark Noble (University of Rochester), R. Phil Greenberg (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center), Dr. Jeffrey Infante (Sarah Cannon Research Institute), and Dr. Charles Vacanti (Harvard Medical School).

Opening remarks were provided by Dr. Sharon White, Director of the UCONN Stamford campus and Richard Blumenthal, United States Senator for Connecticut. "Washington is dysfunctional and broken," Blumenthal said. "The good news is that scientific advancements and research offer a real opportunity to reach across the aisle; this is an area that should inspire bipartisan cooperation."

Overwhelmingly, the message coming from the Exposition was one of encouragement that we are making great strides in the effective treatment of catastrophic disease, in particular cancers. Determining genetic differences in tumors, which has posed challenges for biomarkers, has improved significantly with advancements in molecular biology. Novel and approved targeted agents is the next rationale step in matching tumor types with appropriate therapies; a developmental step that large pharmaceutical companies have already taken.

Dr. Noble, who led a panel moderated by Noble Financial Senior Analyst, Nathan Cali and consisting of executives from Cytomedix, Cytori, MediStem, Mesoblast and NeoStem, expressed optimism that stem cell therapy will continue to grow exponentially. "Stem cells are a natural cascade offering the potential to treat significant unmet medical needs," he said."The path to better cancer treatment comes from a clearer understanding of cancer stem cell biology."

Rahul Jasuja, Noble Financial's Managing Director of Biotechnology Research moderated the panel which focused on immunotherapy and vaccines. Executives from Argos, Galena, Inovio, NewLink and Prima Biomed joined Dr. Phil Greenberg (referred to as Dr. T-Cell) to debate the challenges and advancements in the understanding of how the immune system is suppressed by cancer cells. While a consensus was not reached in terms of specific methods to harness the immune system, all agreed that the next generation of immunotherapy approaches will aim to "realign" the immune system to destroy cancer.

Jules Msing, Chairman of Noble's Scientific Advisory Board and the former head of Global Drug Licensing for Johnson & Johnson addressed attendees at the opening session and again on day two of the Exposition. "The hope is great that all of the technologies and innovations that will be discussed here today will have a huge impact on healthcare around the world," he said. "This, however, is reliant on the underlying assumption that society's acceptance of healthcare innovation and our willingness to invest in it will continue into the future," he added. Msings' presentation to life science corporate executives centered on the question of why some biotech companies can attract the attention of large pharma while others cannot and why many licensing executives in large pharma are unable to convince their R&D groups or executive committees to make substantial investments in these companies. Mr. Msing negotiated deals with various companies such as Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Genentech, OSI Pharmaceuticals, Bristol Meyers Squibb, CTI Inc., Regeneron, Alkermes, Enzon Pharmaceuticals, GTx Inc, Alliance Pharmaceuticals, Allos Therapeutics, Somatogen, Morphotek, Edison Pharmaceuticals, etc.

Based upon the success of this event, Noble Financial has begun planning its second Life Sciences Exposition for the fall of 2013. Noble's Ninth Annual large-format investor conference that will feature 150 public companies is scheduled for January 22-23, 2013 at the Hard Rock Hotel in Fort Lauderdale.

Complete HDVideo webcast catalog available at: http://www.nobleresearch.com/BioExposition.htm

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Provocative Biotech Exposition Reveals Significant Advancements in Stem Cell Research, Immunotherapy, Targeted ...

New stem cell research could bring choices to heart patients

By Stem Cell Treatment

Contributed photo

Dr. Nabil Dib

They're called "no-option patients."

They've endured angioplasty, stent procedures, bypasses and a long line of medications. None of the treatments has fixed the plaque-plugged coronary arteries that trigger angina, starve the heart of blood and force people to hunch in pain after walking twoblocks.

Adult stem cell research at an Oxnard hospital is aimed at giving themchoices.

"A patient who has no hope will have some hope," said Dr. Nabil Dib, a world-renowned researcher partnering with St. John's Regional Medical Center. "It's a hope for potential therapy that will revise the way we treat cardiovasculardisease."

Stem cells are blank cells that function as the body's building blocks. They are able to grow into many different kinds of cells, including blood, muscle and tissue. Dib's work involves adult stem cells harvested from his patients, as opposed to stem cells that come from embryos and trigger ethicaldebates.

In a clinical trial starting at St. John's and 49 other hospitals across the country, the adult stem cells will be isolated and used to create new blood vessels. It's a way of manipulating the body into building new pathways for blood flow impeded by barricadedarteries.

"We're doing like a bypass a biological bypass," Dibsaid.

The trial is part of a genre of research aimed at using the body's own resources to repair the heart. It could reduce consequences ranging from heart transplants and hospitalizations to heart failure anddeath.

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New stem cell research could bring choices to heart patients

New study sheds light on bone marrow stem cell therapy for pancreatic recovery

By Stem Cell Treatment

ScienceDaily (Oct. 2, 2012) Researchers at Cedars-Sinai's Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute have found that a blood vessel-building gene boosts the ability of human bone marrow stem cells to sustain pancreatic recovery in a laboratory mouse model of insulin-dependent diabetes.

The findings, published in a PLoS ONE article of the Public Library of Science, offer new insights on mechanisms involved in regeneration of insulin-producing cells and provide new evidence that a diabetic's own bone marrow one day may be a source of treatment.

Scientists began studying bone marrow-derived stem cells for pancreatic regeneration a decade ago. Recent studies involving several pancreas-related genes and delivery methods -- transplantation into the organ or injection into the blood -- have shown that bone marrow stem cell therapy could reverse or improve diabetes in some laboratory mice. But little has been known about how stem cells affect beta cells -- pancreas cells that produce insulin -- or how scientists could promote sustained beta cell renewal and insulin production.

When the Cedars-Sinai researchers modified bone marrow stem cells to express a certain gene (vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF), pancreatic recovery was sustained as mouse pancreases were able to generate new beta cells. The VEGF-modified stem cells promoted growth of needed blood vessels and supported activation of genes involved in insulin production. Bone marrow stem cells modified with a different gene, PDX1, which is important in the development and maintenance of beta cells, resulted in temporary but not sustained beta cell recovery.

"Our study is the first to show that VEGF contributes to revascularization and recovery after pancreatic injury. It demonstrates the possible clinical benefits of using bone marrow-derived stem cells, modified to express that gene, for the treatment of insulin-dependent diabetes," said John S. Yu, MD, professor and vice chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai, senior author of the journal article.

Diabetes was reversed in five of nine mice treated with the injection of VEGF-modified cells, and near-normal blood sugar levels were maintained through the remainder of the six-week study period. The other four mice survived and gained weight, suggesting treatment was beneficial even when it did not prompt complete reversal. Lab studies later confirmed that genetically-modified cells survived and grew in the pancreas and supported the repopulation of blood vessels and beta cells.

Anna Milanesi, MD, PhD, working in Yu's lab as an endocrinology fellow, is the article's first author. The researchers cautioned that although this and other related studies help scientists gain a better understanding of the processes and pathways involved in pancreatic regeneration, more research is needed before human clinical trials can begin.

Insulin-dependent diabetes occurs when beta cells of the pancreas fail to produce insulin, a hormone that regulates sugar in the blood. Patients must take insulin injections or consider transplantation of a whole pancreas or parts of the pancreas that make insulin, but transplantation carries the risk of cell rejection.

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New study sheds light on bone marrow stem cell therapy for pancreatic recovery

Blind Mice Get Experimental Stem Cell Treatment For Blindness

By Stem Cell Treatment

April Flowers for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

Columbia University ophthalmologists and stem cell researchers have developed an experimental treatment for blindness using the patients skin cells, which has improved the vision of blind mice in testing.

The findings of this research, published online in the journal Molecular Medicine, suggest that induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) could soon be used to improve vision in people with macular degeneration and other eye retina diseases. iPS cells are derived from adult human skin cells but have embryonic qualities.

With eye diseases, I think were getting close to a scenario where a patients own skin cells are used to replace retina cells destroyed by disease or degeneration, says Stephen Tsang, MD, PhD, associate professor of ophthalmology and pathology & cell biology. Its often said that iPS transplantation will be important in the practice of medicine in some distant future, but our paper suggests the future is almost here.

Scientists were very excited by the advent of human iPS cells when they were discovered in 2007, as they provide a way to avoid the ethical complications of embryonic stem cells. Another advantage is that the iPS cells are created from the patients own skin, eliminating the need for anti-rejection medications. Like the ethically challenged embryonic cells, iPS cells can develop into any type of cell. To-date, no iPS cells have been implanted into people, but many ophthalmologists say that the eye would prove to be ideal testing ground for iPS therapies.

The eye is a transparent and accessible part of the central nervous system, and thats a big advantage. We can put cells into the eye and monitor them every day with routine non-invasive clinical exams, Tsang said. And in the event of serious complications, removing the eye is not a life-threatening event.

Professor Tsang is running a new preclinical iPS study using human iPS cells derived from the skin cells of a 53-year-old donor. The cells were first transformed with a cocktail of growth factors into cells in the retina that lie underneath the eyes light-sensing cells.

Retina cells nourish the light-sensing cells and protect the fragile cells from excess light, heat and cellular debris. In macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa, retina cells die, which allows the photoreceptor cells to degenerate causing the patient to lose their vision. It is estimated that 30 percent of people will have some form of macular degeneration by the time they are 75 years old, as it is the leading cause of vision loss in the elderly. Currently, it affects 7 million Americans and that is expected to double by 2020.

The Columbia research team injected the iPS-derived retina cells into the right eyes of 34 mice that had a genetic mutation that caused their retina cells to degenerate. In many of the mice, the iPS cells assimilated into the retina without disruption and functioned as normal retina cells well into the animals old age. Mice in the control group, who received injections of saline or inactive cells, showed no improvement in retina tests.

Our findings provide the first evidence of life-long neuronal recovery in a preclinical model of retinal degeneration, using stem cell transplant, with vision improvement persisting through the lifespan, Tsang says. And importantly, we saw no tumors in any of the mice, which should allay one of the biggest fears people have about stem cell transplants: that they will generate tumors.

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Blind Mice Get Experimental Stem Cell Treatment For Blindness

Celltex To Initiate New Clinical Program As It Responds To FDA Letter

By Stem Cell Doctors

HOUSTON, Oct. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Celltex Therapeutics Corp. announced today that it has received a letter, dated Sept. 24, 2012, from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The letter stated the agency's opinion that the process Celltex uses to multiply adult stem cells is subject to FDA regulation as biological drug manufacturing. The issue is a key one as stem cell therapy for patient care outside of an academic institution is a new frontier, yet there are a variety of technologies being used throughout the United States, often creating complex legal and regulatory questions.

David Eller, CEO and President of Celltex, stated:

Celltex makes identical copies of an individual's own stem cells and therefore should not be subject to FDA regulation as drugs. However, the FDA said our process causes the cells to be considered biological drugs and thus is subject to those regulations. We respectfully but firmly disagree with the FDA and intend to contest the agency's opinion within its administrative procedures. We are considering all options as we work with the agency toward a resolution.

FDA's letter also repeats its earlier observations from an April inspection of Celltex's laboratory. While Celltex provided detailed responses in April, May, June, July and August, now FDA tells us it needs more information. We will answer FDA's questions in whatever detail the agency requests."

We will meet FDA's requirements, no matter how high the hurdles may be, to ensure access to this technology. Celltex remains fully committed to advance the most promising new field in human health in decades regenerative medicine. We also remain committed to doing so safely, and we will continue to comply with federal and state agency requirements.

As we work with the FDA, Celltex will continue to make advances on the frontier of regenerative medicine, and we expect to have several significant announcements in the coming weeks on these matters:

"Celltex is committed to developing the promise of regenerative medicine into a reality for doctors and their patients," Mr. Eller said. "We sponsor clinical trials to better understand the therapeutic impact and monitor the safety of adult stem cell therapy, and we are confident that our research will help implement effective treatments for patients suffering from a variety of medical conditions."

For more information on Celltex Therapeutics Corporation and its staff please visit http://www.CelltexBank.com.

About Celltex

Celltex Therapeutics Corporation is a leader in providing services for the rapidly expanding field of regenerative medicine.Specifically, Celltex purifies, multiplies, and stores adult adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells and rigorously follows the standards of good manufacturing practices for human cell laboratories. Celltex's laboratory currently holds more than fourteen patents protecting methodology and quality control. The Celltex process ensures extracted adult stem cells are separated, multiplied and stored without any genetic alteration or exposure to stimulants to alter the cells' natural multiplication ability. Celltex is currently researching new methods and technology for banking and stem cell treatment therapies to further the field of regenerative medicine and document the therapeutic impact of adult stem cell therapies on various medical conditions.

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Celltex To Initiate New Clinical Program As It Responds To FDA Letter

Stem-cell advocacy ‘moved the needle’

By Stem Cell Medicine

A beautiful, fresh face, Sabrina Cohen can stun you with her charm.

But she is far more. This 24-year-old, who has spent 10 years in a wheelchair as a result of a car accident, is battling to raise money for research and therapies that may eventually reverse paralysis and treat central nervous system impairments.

A native of Miami Beach, she is one of five leaders being honored by the Palm Beach-based Genetic Policy Institute at its eighth annual World Stem Cell Summit Dec. 4 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach. She is receiving the Inspirational Award.

This award brings a lot of meaning to my life and the path I have chosen to follow, she says of her founding of the nonprofit Sabrina Cohen Foundation.

This provides a platform for my foundation to inspire others and to share my hope for (stem cell) regeneration.

Other honorees include CBS 60 Minutes for its hard-hitting programs on unproven stem cell treatments; Susan Solomon, CEO of the New York Stem Cell Foundation; Alliance for Regenerative Medicine; and the Nebraska Coalition for Lifesaving Cures.

We recognize the dedicated individuals and organizations that positively impact the cause of stem-cell advancement aimed at finding cures and alleviating human suffering, said Bernard Siegel, executive director of GPI.

Through their positive actions, our honorees have moved the regenerative medicine needle, bringing closer the day when patients will be safely treated through these innovative technologies.

Previous Stem Cell Action awardees have included Maryland Governor Martin OMalley, Research!America, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Michael J. Fox, Robert Klein, Sherry Lansing, Palm Beacher A. Alfred Taubman and the National Association of Biology Teachers.

This year, panels will address advancing treatments for specific diseases and conditions including cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, cardiovascular disease, spinal cord injury, paralysis, multiple sclerosis, ALS, Parkinsons, eye diseases and others.

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Stem-cell advocacy ‘moved the needle’

Histogenics Honored as a 2012 “Fierce 15” Company by FierceMedicalDevices

By Uncategorized

WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Histogenics, a regenerative medicine company combining cell therapy and tissue engineering technologies to develop highly innovative products for tissue repair and regeneration, announced today that it has been named to the FierceMedicalDevices Fierce 15 list, designating it as one of the leading medical device and diagnostic companies of 2012. FierceMedicalDevicesEditors Mark Hollmer and Damian Garde, in conjunction with Editor-in-Chief John Carroll and Executive Editor Ryan McBride, chose this years winners based on their top management teams, notable financial backing, and promising technologies and market opportunities.

We have worked hard over the past year, securing $49 million in financing and adding key new staff, investors and board members, so that we are now in the position to focus our full attention on continued successful clinical and regulatory execution for NeoCart cartilage regeneration implant, which is currently enrolling patients into the Phase 3 IND clinical study, and the EU regulatory development of our VeriCart cartilage repair scaffold, said Patrick ODonnell, President and Chief Executive Officer of Histogenics. We believe our product candidates have the potential to transform the treatment of cartilage injury with the goal of returning some of the estimated 1.8 million patients each year in the U.S. and E.U. that undergo arthroscopy for knee cartilage defects to their pre-injury level of activity.

Nailing down $49 million in financing in July reinforces the notion that this regenerative medicine company stands out for doing things differently.One example how: The company is well underway enrolling patients in a Phase 3 trial for NeoCart, a cartilage implant that uses a patients own cells to build it before treating cartilage lesions in the knee, said Hollmer.

NeoCart is an autologous neocartilage tissue implant in an ongoing Phase 3 clinical program that utilizes the patients own cells to regenerate cartilage in patients suffering from cartilage lesions in the knee.VeriCart, is a single-step, cell-free collagen scaffold uniquely designed to be used in conjunction with the patients own stem cells to repair small cartilage defects frequently observed in meniscal and anterior cruciate ligament repair procedures. Histogenics is seeking regulatory clearance in the European Union for VeriCart.

An internationally recognized e-newsletter reaching more than 34,000 medical device and diagnostic industry professionals, FierceMedicalDevices provides subscribers with a quick authoritative briefing on the days top stories, with a special focus on clinical studies, FDA/EMEA regulations and post-marketing. Sign up is free at http://www.fiercemedicaldevices.com/signup.

About FierceMarkets

FierceMarkets, a wholly owned subsidiary of Questex Media Group, is a leader in B2B emedia, providing information and marketing services in the telecommunications, life sciences, healthcare, IT, energy, government and finance industries through its portfolio of email newsletters, websites, webinars and live events. Every business day, FierceMarkets wide array of publications reaches more than 1.3 million executives in more than 100 countries.

About Histogenics

Histogenics is a leading regenerative medicine company that combines cell therapy and tissue engineering technologies to develop highly innovative products for tissue repair and regeneration. In May of 2011, Histogenics acquired Israeli cell-therapy company ProChon BioTech. Histogenics flagship products focus on the treatment of active patients suffering from articular cartilage derived pain and immobility. The Company takes an interdisciplinary approach to engineering neocartilage that looks, acts and lasts like hyaline cartilage. It is developing new treatments for sports injuries and other orthopedic conditions, where demand is growing for long-term alternatives to joint replacement. Histogenics has successfully completed Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials in which the NeoCart autologous tissue implants effectiveness is compared to that of standard microfracture surgery. Based in Waltham, Massachusetts, the company is privately held. For more information, visitwww.histogenics.com.

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Histogenics Honored as a 2012 “Fierce 15” Company by FierceMedicalDevices

Nuvilex Subsidiary Austrianova Singapore to Participate in AusBiotech 2012

By Uncategorized

SILVER SPRING, Md. and SINGAPORE, Oct. 2, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nuvilex, Inc. (NVLX), an international biotechnology provider of cell and gene therapy solutions, announced today its wholly-owned subsidiary, Austrianova Singapore Pte Ltd (ASPL) will attend this year's AusBiotech event.

The annual AusBiotech event this year will be held from October 30 - November 2 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Melbourne, Australia. It has earned a reputation as the industry's premier biotechnology conference for the Asia Pacific region and has successfully expanded its relevance to the Australian and International Biotechnology industries by attracting more than 1100 participants from over 20 countries.

Dr Brian Salmons, CEO of ASPL said, "AusBiotech has grown in stature over the past several years. In prior years, we entered agreements with companies and found it to be one of the most valuable events for networking with new contacts. We anticipate meeting with companies with proprietary therapeutic cells, such as stem cells, that can leverage their technology with our Cell-in-a-Box(R) delivery system. We believe the new contacts we make will expand our customer base and increase the use of cell and gene therapy for making therapeutic products and treating diseases. We will also be promoting our Bac-in-a-Box(R) technology for the first time at this meeting and anticipate generating interest around its potential."

The Chief Executive of Nuvilex, Dr. Robert Ryan, stated "Attendance at this important biotech event in Australia and within easy reach of Southeast Asia will enable us to have increased exposure for our Cell-in-a-Box(R) and Bac-in-a-Box(R) live cell encapsulation technology and to showcase its immense versatility, thus providing our companies greater visibility at a time that such capabilities are becoming more important in the marketplace. It is our goal to bring more projects to fruition from this meeting as more companies today are looking to bring cellular-based therapy and product creation from the drawing board to reality and into regular use."

About Nuvilex

Nuvilex, Inc. (NVLX) is an international biotechnology provider of live therapeutically valuable, encapsulated cells and services for research and medicine. A great deal of work is ongoing to move Nuvilex and its Austrianova Singapore subsidiary forward. This was clearly apparent during Dr. Ryan's trip to Singapore and the advent of new developments in the company as a whole. Our company's own offerings will include cancer, diabetes, other treatments and capabilities using the company's cell and gene therapy expertise and live-cell encapsulation technology.

The Nuvilex, Inc. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=13494

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements described within the 1995 Private Securities Litigation Reform Act involving risks and uncertainties including product demand, market competition, and meeting current or future plans which may cause actual results, events, and performances, expressed or implied, to vary and/or differ from those contemplated or predicted. Investors should study and understand all risks before making an investment decision. Readers are recommended not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. Nuvilex is not obliged to publicly release revisions to any forward-looking statement, reflect events or circumstances afterward, or disclose unanticipated occurrences, except as required under applicable laws.

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Nuvilex Subsidiary Austrianova Singapore to Participate in AusBiotech 2012

NeoStem to Present at Multiple Conferences in October

By Uncategorized

NEW YORK, Oct. 2, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NeoStem, Inc. (NYSE MKT:NBS) ("NeoStem" or the "Company"), an emerging leader in the fast growing cell therapy market, today announced that Company management and management of its subsidiary, Progenitor Cell Therapy ("PCT"), have been invited to present at multiple conferences in October.

RetailInvestorConferences.com

The RedChip 15th Annual Fall Small-Cap Conference

Regenerative Medicine Foundation 2012 Conference

2012 Stem Cell Meeting on the Mesa, 2nd Annual Investor and Partnering Forum

About NeoStem, Inc.

NeoStem, Inc. continues to develop and build on its core capabilities in cell therapy, capitalizing on the paradigm shift that we see occurring in medicine. In particular, we anticipate that cell therapy will have a significant role in the fight against chronic disease and in lessening the economic burden that these diseases pose to modern society. We are emerging as a technology and market leading company in this fast developing cell therapy market. Our multi-faceted business strategy combines a state-of-the-art contract development and manufacturing subsidiary, Progenitor Cell Therapy, LLC ("PCT"), with a medically important cell therapy product development program, enabling near and long-term revenue growth opportunities. We believe this expertise and existing research capabilities and collaborations will enable us to achieve our mission of becoming a premier cell therapy company.

Our contract development and manufacturing service business supports the development of proprietary cell therapy products. NeoStem's most clinically advanced therapeutic, AMR-001, is being developed at Amorcyte, LLC ("Amorcyte"), which we acquired in October 2011. Amorcyte is developing a cell therapy for the treatment of cardiovascular disease and is enrolling patients in a Phase 2 trial to investigate AMR-001's efficacy in preserving heart function after a heart attack. Athelos Corporation ("Athelos"), which is approximately 80%-owned by our subsidiary, PCT, is collaborating with Becton-Dickinson in the early clinical exploration of a T-cell therapy for autoimmune conditions. In addition, pre-clinical assets include our VSELTM Technology platform as well as our mesenchymal stem cell product candidate for regenerative medicine. Our service business and pipeline of proprietary cell therapy products work in concert, giving us a competitive advantage that we believe is unique to the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. Supported by an experienced scientific and business management team and a substantial intellectual property estate, we believe we are well positioned to succeed.

For more information on NeoStem, please visit http://www.neostem.com.

Forward-Looking Statements for NeoStem, Inc.

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NeoStem to Present at Multiple Conferences in October

Educational Programs Offered as Part of Cryo-Save´s Cord Blood Awareness Months

By Stem Cell Treatment

ZUTPHEN, the Netherlands, October 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Cryo-Save Group promotes the awareness of cord blood storage and stem cell therapies at several local educational events held throughout Europe.

Cryo-Save continues its Cord Blood Awareness Months celebration by sponsoring educational events in the Netherlands, Italy and Spain during the months of October and November. It is events like these that Cryo-Save hopes to bring awareness of and research advancements for the stem cell industry.

Stem cells are becoming ever more important in the medical field as a way to treat a broad variety of malignant and non-malignant diseases. The U.S. National Marrow Donor Program sites cord blood as treatment for multiple myeloma, severe aplastic anaemia, beta thalassemia major, SCID and other inherited immune system disorders, and leukaemias and lymphomas. Patients suffering from sickle cell anaemia have been considered cured after being treated with stem cells.[1] Over 4,000 clinical trials using cord blood stem cells are taking place to treat diseases such as cerebral palsy, diabetes and autism with many more potential clinical trials continuing to develop.

"Cryo-Saves efforts to inform the medical professionals and community members about advances in regenerative medicine means that patients suffering from diseases treatable with stem cells can also become better informed, " says Dr. Cherie Daly, Medical Affairs Manager Cryo-Save. "Having a series of events and programs as part of Cord Blood Awareness Months makes an even stronger impact on the meaningfulness of this research and its application." Cryo-Save Group will continue its commitment to promoting the storage of cord blood and stem cells even after Cord Blood Awareness Months by offering several customer related promotions.

Cryo-Save Italy will hold a special meeting for midwives about stem cells, applications and Cryo-Saves storage services on October 2. Dr. Stefano Grossi, Cryo-Save Italy Scientific Director, will be there to present on stem cell applications. During the month of October Cryo-Save Italy will also offer several parent-to-be courses on similar topics in places all around Italy: Brescia, Venice, Bologna, Milan and others.

Midwives in the Netherlands are invited on October 4 to visit the Cryo-Save Laboratory in Niel, Belgium for a unique behind the scenes tour of the ultra-modern facility - an opportunity not available at most other cord blood banks. Attendees will have a chance to be given an update from Dr. Sally Sennitt, Cryo-Save Lab Director about the current applications of stem cells, treatable diseases and new clinical trials. Staff from Cryo-Save, the Netherlands will also report on the position and procedure of stem cell storage in the Netherlands and have a group discussion on the topic. "This event is our chance to give midwives information on the importance of stem cell storage and give them tools for helping parents become better informed of this option, " says Erica Dikkeboom, Cryo-Save Nederland.

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1. University of Illinois at Chicago (2012, June 18). Chicago woman cured of sickle cell disease. ScienceDaily. Retrieved September 12, 2012, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120618194714.htm

Crio-Cord, Cryo-Saves subsidiary in Spain, will hold a stem cell therapy symposium in Madrid on October 16 focusing on cutting edge therapies using umbilical cord stem cells and will also include current investigations using stem cells that are taking place in Madrid. The symposium will be attended by national and international speakers and is the first of its kind to take place in Madrid.

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Educational Programs Offered as Part of Cryo-Save´s Cord Blood Awareness Months

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