Stem Cell Clinic

Pacemaker from Stem Cells Receives Research Funding

(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) - Deborah K. Lieu, a stem cell scientist in cardiovascular medicine at UC Davis Health System, has received a $1.3 million research grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) to develop stem cells that could serve as a biological alternative to the electronic pacemakers that people now use to regulate heart rhythm.

According to Lieu, each year 350,000 cardiology patients with abnormal heart rhythms receive electronic pacemakers to maintain a normal heart beat. The devices, while effective, have several disadvantages, including limited battery life and poor response to changing heart rates, such as when a person is exercising. Lieu, who is working with colleague Nipavan Chiamvimonvat, the Roger Tatarian Endowed Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at UC Davis, plans to examine ways to improve the generation of pacemaking cells using human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), potentially creating what she calls a "biopacemaker."

"There are more than 3 million patients around the country who are dependent on electronic pacemakers," said Lieu. "Each one costs about $58,000 to implant and requires follow-up surgery about every 5 to 10 years to change batteries. Creating a biopacemaker from stem cells would avoid the burden of battery replacement and provide the physiological benefit of enabling a person's heart to naturally adapt to a rising heart rate during activities such as exercise."

Lieu's grant was among more than two dozen projects that received support from state stem cell agency's governing board last week as part of CIRM's Basic Biology awards program. The funding focuses on basic research projects that can provide a better understanding about the fundamental mechanisms of stem cell biology and move researchers closer to knowing how best to use stem cells to help patients.

To create the pacemaking cells, Lieu and her colleagues plan to manipulate an ion channel (the SK channels in cardiac myocytes) to alter the calcium signaling mechanisms during hiPSC differentiation. Stem cell scientists create hiPSCs - typically from an adult cell such as a skin cell - by inducing a "forced" expression of specific genes. Once reprogrammed, the cells take on a variety of capabilities (becoming pluripotent) and offer a range of stem cell treatment possibilities.

Development of a biopacemaker could also benefit the one-in-20,000 infants and premature babies suffering from congenital heart-rhythm dysfunction who currently are not suitable candidates for electronic pacemakers. Infants are physically too small for the device. A biological pacemaker could fit with their small stature and then grow as the infant grows.

Collaborating with Lieu and Chiamvimonvat on the research project will be Jan Nolta, director of the UC Davis Institute for Regenerative Cures; Donald Bers, chair of the UC Davis Department of Pharmacology; and James Chan, assistant professor in the Department of Pathology and affiliated with the NSF Center for Biophotonics Science and Technology at UC Davis.

UC Davis is playing a leading role in regenerative medicine, with nearly 150 scientists working on a variety of stem cell-related research projects at campus locations in both Davis and Sacramento. The UC Davis Institute for Regenerative Cures, a facility supported by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), opened in 2010 on the Sacramento campus. This $62 million facility is the university's hub for stem cell science. It includes Northern California's largest academic Good Manufacturing Practice laboratory, with state-of-the-art equipment and manufacturing rooms for cellular and gene therapies. UC Davis also has a Translational Human Embryonic Stem Cell Shared Research Facility in Davis and a collaborative partnership with the Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine at Shriners Hospital for Children Northern California. All of the programs and facilities complement the university's Clinical and Translational Science Center, and focus on turning stem cells into cures. For more information, visit http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/stemcellresearch.

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Pacemaker from Stem Cells Receives Research Funding

BioRestorative Therapies Announces the Appointment of Harvard Medical School's Wayne Marasco, M.D., Ph.D., as Chairman …

JUPITER, Fla., Sept. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --BioRestorative Therapies, Inc. ("BRT" or the "Company") (BRTX), a life sciences company focused on stem cell based cellular therapies for various personal medical applications, announced today that Wayne A. Marasco, M.D., Ph.D. has been appointed as Chairman of the Company's Scientific Advisory Board.

Dr. Marasco currently serves as an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. He is head of the Marasco Labs, an accomplished research laboratory at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute known for discovery and therapeutic human monoclonal antibody development and for constructing and validating various Human-Mouse chimeric models in the area of cancer, infectious disease immunotherapy, regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. Dr. Marasco is an Affiliated Faculty Member of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute and has extensive experience in the field of stem cells.

In 2003, Dr. Marasco founded the National Foundation of Cancer Research Center for Therapeutic Antibody Engineering to expand the use of human monoclonal antibodies in the treatment of cancer. In 2009, he was listed among 13 top scientists in their field as the 21st century medicine "Pioneers of Medicine Progress" by US News & World Report. Dr. Marasco's recent work in the field of influenza has led to a new discovery in which a human antibody attacks a crucial non-mutating part of the influenza virus that can potentially lead to a vaccination of the virus, including the swine flu.

Dr. Marasco commented on his appointment, "I am very excited to be joining the BioRestorative Therapies team and look forward to adding my expertise to the organization and leading the Scientific Advisory Board. The Company has developed substantial scientific and medical programs and I am thrilled to be part of its continued development."

Mark Weinreb, Chief Executive Officer of BRT, stated, "Dr. Marasco is a highly regarded medical researcher and clinician and we are extremely pleased to have him join our Scientific Advisory Board as its Chairman. He will be an integral part in adding new members to the advisory board, and his participation will further the advances we are making with our science. BRT will benefit from Dr. Marasco's extraordinary experience in stem cell science and his unique insight and abilities in the field of cellular medicine."

Dr. Marasco received his PhD in 1980 from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and postdoctoral training at the University of Michigan Medical School, where he also earned an MD in 1986 and completed training in internal medicine. He received his subspecialty training in infectious diseases at Harvard Medical School, and joined Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in 1989.

About BioRestorative Therapies, Inc.

BioRestorative Therapies, Inc.'s ("BRT") goal is to become a leader in developing medical procedures using cell and tissue protocols, primarily involving adult stem cells (non-embryonic), and allowing patients to undergo minimally invasive cellular-based treatments. BRT is developing the following scientific initiatives: OurbrtxDISCProgram (Disc Implanted Stem Cells) offers a non-surgical treatment for bulging and herniated discs and addresses the gap between non-invasive and invasive back procedures. OurThermoStem Program focuses on treatments for metabolic disorders (diabetes, heart disease, etc.) and obesity and uses brown fat stem cells, which initial research indicates increased caloric burning and reduced glucose and lipid levels in the body. The Company also offers plant stem cell-based facial creams and products under the Stem Pearls brand atwww.stempearls.com.

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors and other risks, including those set forth in the Company's Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

Investor Contacts: KCSA Strategic Communications Philip Carlson / Josh Dver +1 212.896.1233 / +1 212.896.1239 pcarlson@kcsa.com / jdver@kcsa.com

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BioRestorative Therapies Announces the Appointment of Harvard Medical School's Wayne Marasco, M.D., Ph.D., as Chairman ...

Stem Cell Therapy—Breakthrough in Health Paradigm

By Sharmistha Banerjee - September 25, 2012 | Tickers: NBS, OSIR, PSTI | 0 Comments

Sharmistha is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network -- entries represent the personal opinions of our bloggers and are not formally edited.

Far-reaching accomplishments in the biotechnology sector meet its most ambitious expectations, stem cell therapy. The birth of this new industry has boosted the enthusiasm and energy of investors and has brought unprecedented capability and optimistic predictions. New developments in regenerative medicine are bringing about exciting, novel approaches to create therapies for hard to treat diseases. The biotechnology industry has been soaring in 2012 as companies both large and small have shown impressive growth.

The cell therapy space has seen relatively small companies making strides in the right direction with increased government support. Osiris Therapeutics (NASDAQ: OSIR) a leading stem cell company is currently the only company with an approved cell therapy. The approval is more of a first step in a long walk for Osiris. Reuters reported that shares of Osiris Therapeutics rose 15% on May 30, 2012, after U.S. health regulators said the stem cell technology company's wound treatment was eligible for reimbursement when used in hospitals in out-patient settings or in ambulances. The company carries over a $300 million market capitalization and trades at $9.50 per share, primarily on the strength of a recent Canadian approval for its stem cell drug for graft-versus-host disease. Osiris Therapeutics has a 1-year low of $4.12 and a 1-year high of $14.46. The company has a market cap of $311.3 million and a price-to-earnings ratio of 90.98. Investors are impressed and optimistic with Osiris progress in cell-based therapies. They currently have a $9.75 target price on the stock. Despite having to negotiate a more challenging regulation process the company has continued to show investors strong gains in 2012.With a current ratio of 8.51 and debt equity of (0.00%) the company boasts of a financially secure position in the market.

Pluristem Therapeutics (NASDAQ: PSTI) a small firm with a market cap of less than $180 million has been concentrating on its placenta-based cell therapies, is considered one of the more advanced in the cell therapy arena, and unlike OSIR, its lead candidates treat diseases that could potentially return significant revenue. The upside for PSTI is lower costs, quicker healing time, ease of administration, and most importantly, it can grow vessels and provide the possibility of a cure, which has led to optimism surrounding the stock. Shares of Pluristem Therapeutics are up over 3.98% and most likely headed higher in the days ahead. It has traded higher by 85% during the last three months and is now valued at $200 million. Pluristem may actually beat OSIR in the race to become the first U.S. approved cell therapy with its bone marrow therapy, in which it has recently applied for approval. Pluristem is a company that I think is showing great promise. From the stock's action in the last several months, it is clear investors recognize that Pluristem's unique platform technology has the potential for tremendous value in a lucrative range of medical markets both the very large and the very small. The company wins both ways. Its clinical segment is creating candidates with large revenue potential, with analysts projecting peak sales of $700 million for AMR-001, which treats patients following acute myocardial infarction. The company is reasonably well funded with around $42 million in cash and cash equivalents.

NeoStem (NYSEMKT: NBS) is by far the leader in regards to the manufacturing business, and no other company comes close. In addition, its stock has returned the most over in the last three months, with a 100% gain. NeoStem stocks looks promising as a biotechnology investment. First, the company is focusing on several promising areas of new stem cell treatment development. Second, its contract manufacturing business brings in revenues to offset some of its drug development expenditures. Third, the contract manufacturing business could earn substantial royalties if any of the products on which it works with customers proves to be a commercial success. NeoStem's manufacturing segment which is also known as PCT, is well positioned to return larger gains over the next 24 months with several late stage candidates under development. a $110 million company that has increased in value by 70% during the last three months, In addition to the PCT business, NeoStem's most promising therapy is aimed at preventing major cardiac problems following acute myocardial infarction (AMI), an area that is potentially a multibillion-dollar business. NeoStem's therapy is meeting endpoints never before reached,

The three companies discussed above are showing much potential for growth and each present a significant upward shift in the current stock prices while contributing greatly to the advances of cell therapy.

Osiris is the closest to generating substantial revenue by already having two approvals, and is currently testing its therapy on other diseases, thereby leaving open the possibility of future gains. Pluristem has candidates to treat diseases in potentially large markets, and is expanding with its manufacturing facility. Although Stem Cells is in the early phases of development, it still has a very innovating therapy that, if proven effective, could advance the space even further. NeoStem possesses all the benefits of an innovating technology, a diversified pipeline, and is a candidate with significant revenue potential.

At this point, it appears that the entire space is moving forward and has lifted observers' expectations by making rapid progress. It makes sense that these three stocks would trade with such considerable gains, as investors can now identify the benefits of cell therapies. And as more approvals occur, it could be a space that trades considerably higher regardless of the market's indecisiveness. With the sector growing and maturing, investing in biotech stocks seems a promising choice in future.

SharmisthaB has no positions in the stocks mentioned above. The Motley Fool has no positions in the stocks mentioned above. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.If you have questions about this post or the Fools blog network, click here for information.

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Stem Cell Therapy—Breakthrough in Health Paradigm

'Be the Match' seeks stem cell, marrow donors

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Be the Match raises money and enlists donors to help patients with blood cancers like leukemia, lymphoma and sickle cell.

Organizers say common misperceptions of donations often make people hesitant to give, but doctors say treatment has progressed and so has the way marrow and stem cells are taken from donors.

"What we're able to do now is just extract the cells from your blood. It's not as invasive as it used to be. It really compares to donating plasma or platelets, if you're familiar with that. It's in a blood center setting. It's one day of your life, and you could potentially save a life," Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma Patient Cristina Rodriguez said.

Organizers say 70 percent of patients are unable to find matches within their families. You can find out more information at marrow.org.

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'Be the Match' seeks stem cell, marrow donors

New stem-cell treatment saving lives

Thanapat Kitjakosol The Nation on Sunday September 23, 2012 1:00 am

Doctors in Saraburi told her the boy would not survive without a bone-marrow transplant, which costs up to Bt1 million.

Petcharat could not afford it. But as the boy's condition worsened - the whites of his eyes turned red and he experienced oral bleeding - his local doctor helped him to obtain assistance from the Ramathibodi Hospital Foundation to seek free treatment. Ton Kla received a stem-cell transplant using tissue taken from his younger brother Noppaklao in August. He was released from hospital one month later and now lives a normal life, playing with his friends.

Initially, Petcharat believed it was her son's karma to suffer from such a deadly disease. She blamed herself, because she had tried to have an abortion when she was bearing her youngest son. However, the doctors told her the disease could have been caused by any one of a number of factors, such as living close to factories releasing toxic chemicals, heredity, or insecticides from fruits and vegetables.

Ton Kla's is just one of many lives that the Ramathibodi Hospital Foundation has saved. Among the many other survivors is 4-year-old Anat Thongta, who was diagnosed with thalassemia when he was 2. He will undergo a bone-marrow transplant tomorrow, thanks to the foundation's help. Saengduan Thongta, Anat's mother, said getting support from the foundation meant the world to her family, which has been paying Bt5,000 a month for blood transfusions to keep the child alive.

Maneerat Pimnont, 32, who suffers from systemic lupus erythematosus and chronic renal failure, received a free kidney transplant in April last year. She is profoundly grateful to the foundation, saying she has embraced her new life and gone are the days when she suffered torment and misery.

Prof Dr Suradet Hong-ing, vice president in charge of stem-cell transplants at Ramathibodi Hospital, said stem-cell technology had enabled the hospital to treat patients suffering from liver and kidney disease, leukaemia, lymphoma, thalassemia, aplastic anemia and immuno-deficiency.

The hospital is seeking approval from the National Health Security Office (NHSO) to allow patients suffering from these diseases to receive free treatment under NHSO sponsorship. Less than 10 per cent of the Thai population can afford a Bt1-million organ or stem-cell transplant, Suradet said.

"There are more than 4,000 people who are suffering from thalassemia and waiting to get stem-cell transplants; every day some die before they can reach hospital,'' he said. The hospital was the first in Thailand to carry out a liver transplant from a parent to a child, and the first in Asia to successfully perform kidney and bone-marrow transplants, which free patients from the need to take immune system suppressants.

"We are the first hospital in the country to perform a stem-cell transplant from a person who was not a blood relative of the patient,'' Suradet said.

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New stem-cell treatment saving lives

Former Detroit Lions great Gail Cogdill turns to crowdfunding for stem cell heart treatment

A screengrab of Gail Cogdill's crowdfunding page from GoFundMe.com

Dick Cheney's heart transplant at 71 spurs age debate Retired teacher gets New England's first total artificial heart implant Skin cells transformed into beating heart tissue, fueling heart failure treatment hopes

The 75-year-old who won the 1960 NFL Rookie of the Year for the Lions and became one of the top wide receivers in the franchise's history is raising money online to help pay for an experimental stem cell treatment in the Bahamas, reports Mashable.

His wife Dian has created a page on the crowdfunding site, GoFundMe.com to raise $35,000 for the procedure. She writes as a result of the bumps and bruises and his genetics, Cogdill's heart only operates at 18 percent of its capacity and he's been battling heart failure, but besides his age limitations for transplants, they feel an artificial heart is not a viable option because it would only last for a select number of years and may hinder his quality of life.

The Detroit Free Press reports Codgill had a six-way bypass surgery 10 years ago after a virus attacked his heart. He already has a defibrillator and pacemaker in his chest, and had three stents put in during the spring, according to the paper.

Then the Codgill's heard about procedures in which stem cells are taken from his blood and put back in his heart to strengthen it - a procedure not covered by insurance.

"Gail has a family to live for still, things he has yet to experience, and moments in life that we need him for," Dian writes in her appeal.

Recent research on procedures that harvest stem cells from patients, purify them and allow them to grow, before rein fusing them into the heart have showed promise in patients with heart failure.

Last November, a study of 16 heart failure patients found up to a 38 percent improvement in heart function among patients, with eight patients showing more dramatic improvement. One man even went from not being able to walk 30 feet to playing basketball with his granddaughter and running thirty minutes on his treadmill three days a week, according to the lead researcher.

Mashable reports Cogdill has drained his savings by about $500,000 for his heart problems and knee, ankle, hip and shoulder surgeries as a result of his playing days and that's why he's turning to the Web for financial help.

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Former Detroit Lions great Gail Cogdill turns to crowdfunding for stem cell heart treatment

Immortality and 3 Stem Cell Research Stocks

By Karen Rogers - September 21, 2012 | Tickers: BAX, NBS, OSIR | 0 Comments

Karen is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network -- entries represent the personal opinions of our bloggers and are not formally edited.

Stem cell research puts immortality in our hands. By medically treating stem cells to repair damaged organs, one could, in theory, live forever. The following three stem cell research companies are achingly close to perfecting techniques that will repair and strengthen damaged human hearts.

Osiris Therapeutics (NASDAQ: OSIR) Prochymal is the only drug thats been granted fast track status and Orphan Drug status by the FDA. Already in Phase III clinical evaluations, Prochymal repairs heart tissue damaged by a heart attack and it is also under evaluation for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Osiris biologic drugs utilize either human mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) or stem cells taken from adult bone marrow to avoid the ethical controversy surrounding embryonic or fetal stem cell research usage. MSC are taken directly from the donors human bone marrow and one single donation can produce up to 10,000 treatments. Osiris has designed their treatment to be universally accepted by all recipients to eliminate rejection problems. This treatment can be frozen and kept at end-user medical facilities until it is needed.

Osiris has a market cap of $312.25 million and a P/E ratio of 93.14, which far exceeds the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. The stock is up 77.57% over the past 52 weeks, and closed at $9.50 this past Friday. Osiris has cash of $38.75 million, zero debt, and operating cash flow of -$17.47 million. The company reports $27.92 million in revenue, and net income of $3.53 million for this year. Analysts following Osiris rate it a strong buy/buy.

Neostem (NYSEMKT: NBS) is developing AMR-1000, a stem cell therapy designed to rebuild heart tissue damaged after a heart attack that has also shown promise in treating congestive heart failure. For the first time, a U.S. patent has been issued to Neostem for their Compositions and Methods of Vascular Injury Repair, to protect the treatment and the delivery method.

The company offers consumers the opportunity to store their own stem cells for future treatment. During a four-hour collection process, adult stem cells are harvested from the circulating blood. Fifty-percent of the stem cells are stored in immune reconstitution bags to be used for stem cell treatable cancers or immune system transplants. The remaining cells are stored in separate containers for future use as new stem cell treatments are developed.

Neostem has a market cap of $106.32 million and a P/E ratio of -1.64%. The stock is up 9.38% over the past 52 weeks, and closed at $0.69 this past Friday. Neostem has cash of $2.12 million, debt of $3.75 million, and operating cash of -$8.51 million. The company has earned revenue of $77.20 million and net income of -$42.64 million this year. Of the 3 analysts following Neostem, 2 rate it a strong buy and 1 rates it as buy.

Earlier this year, Baxter Internationals (NYSE: BAX) CD34+ entered Phase III trials, a stem cell treatment designed to strengthen the heart by increasing exercise capacity and reducing angina attacks due to chronic myocardial ischemia. This autologous stem cell therapy harvests the cells from the donors bone marrow, and everything but the stem cells is returned to the donor.

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Immortality and 3 Stem Cell Research Stocks

Einstein Hosts Its First Stem Cell Institute Symposium

Newswise September 21, 2012 (BRONX, NY) The promise of stem cells seems limitless. If they can be coaxed into rebuilding organs, repairing damaged spinal cords and restoring ravaged immune systems, these malleable cells would revolutionize medical treatment. But stem cell research is still in its infancy, as scientists seek to better understand the role of these cells in normal human development and disease.

On Friday, September 14, the Ruth L. and David S. Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University offered the Einstein community and invited guests an opportunity to hear from leading stem cell scientists investigating the dynamic field. The 2012 Einstein Stem Cell Institute Symposium featured speakers from around the globe presenting the latest research on induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells), cell reprogramming, as well as cancer and hematopoietic (blood-forming) stem cells.

This symposium was an important milestone for stem cell research at Einstein and confirms our intent to contribute to advances in stem cell biology, said the events host and organizer, Paul Frenette, M.D., director and chair of Einsteins Stem Cell Institute and professor of medicine and of cell biology.

There has been a lot of hype in the past few years about the promise of stem cell research and some concerns that perhaps it was oversold to the public, said Dr. Frenette. The symposiums speakers nicely illustrated the tremendous progress that has been made thus far and showed how outstanding research is helping us to realize the full potential of stem cells.

The afternoon event included four presentations: George Q. Daley, M.D., Ph.D., discussed Lin28 in Stem Cells and Disease. Dr. Daley is the Samuel E. Lux IV Professor of Hematology/Oncology and director of the Stem Cell Transplantation Program at Boston Childrens Hospital; professor of biological chemistry and molecular pharmacology, of medicine, and of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School; and an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Kathrin Plath, Ph.D., gave a talk on the Mechanisms of Reprogramming of Pluripotency. Dr. Plath is associate professor of biological chemistry at the University of California, Los Angeless David Geffen School of Medicine.

Toshio Suda, M.D., Ph.D., professor of cell differentiation at the Graduate School of Medicine, Keio University in Tokyo, Japan, presented Hematopoietic Stem Cells in Hypoxic Niches.

Andreas Trumpp, Ph.D., professor and head of the division of stem cells and cancer, and managing director of the Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine in Heidleberg, Germany, discussed Circulating Metastasis-initiating Cells in Breast Cancer.

Dr. Frenette closed the event by thanking the speakers and the 100 attendees in the Ethel and Samuel J. LeFrak Auditorium, as well as additional attendees viewing the proceedings from overflow rooms in Einsteins Michael F. Price Center for Genetic and Translational Medicine/Harold and Muriel Block Research Pavilion.

We hope this symposium will foster collaborations between Einstein faculty members and leaders in the field, and embolden our developing program toward new heights of research excellence, said Dr. Frenette.

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Einstein Hosts Its First Stem Cell Institute Symposium