EATONTOWN, N.J., May 14, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- American CryoStem Corporation (CRYO), a leading strategic developer, marketer and global licensor of patented adipose tissue-based and cellular technologies for the Regenerative and Personalized Medicine industries, today announced that it has entered into Material Transfer Agreements with three leading research scientists at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, distinguished as one of the world's premier universities for stem cell research and training.

American CryoStem has teamed with Kathryn Uhrich, PhD, Professor and Dean, Mathematical & Physical Sciences; KiBum Lee, PhD, Assistant Professor of Chemistry & Chemical Biology; and Prabhas Moghe, PhD, Professor and Vice-Chair of Biomedical Engineering and Professor of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, all of whom will be utilizing the Company's autologous Adipose-Derived Stem Cells (ADSCs) and patented, serum free, GMP grade, cell culture and differentiation mediums to research, develop and commercialize innovative new cellular therapies addressing the $5 billion global wound care market.

"American CryoStem was founded in New Jersey in 2008, completed its initial research and development work in New Jersey, and built its FDA-registered tissue laboratory in the Burlington County College (BCC) High Technology and Life Science Incubators, where we perfected and validated our proprietary and patented technologies," John S. Arnone, CEO of American CryoStem, said. "Rutgers was the next logical step for development and expansion of our cellular therapy products. We are very proud to be collaborating with the State's top bio-tech academic research institution and to be part of the global development of cellular therapies."

The initial stage of collaboration with Rutgers University will provide for Drs. Uhrich, Lee and Moghe to identify, understand and publish their findings on engineered biomaterial interaction with adipose-derived stem cells, the Company's cell culture media and the resulting tissue growth when used in the treatment of chronic or hard-to-heal wounds, such as diabetic and pressure ulcers. American CryoStem developed and patented a new cell culture medium for growing human stromal cells (including all cells found in human skin, fat and other connective tissue) that is animal product free and suitable for human clinical and therapeutic uses. Future stages of collaboration will focus on testing and data collection with a goal of progressing to clinical studies and trials with an end result of the commercialization of effective, new cellular therapy products.

Anthony Dudzinski, COO of American CryoStem, noted, "Rutgers' intellectual resources and extensive research experience in the field of Regenerative Medicine, coupled with our Company's proprietary technologies and expertise with adipose-derived stem cells, provide a powerful combination of skill, knowledge and a common mission -- to advance the study, development and commercialization of exciting new stem cell therapies that are capable of effectively treating human illnesses and diseases."

The Rutgers-American CryoStem interactions were conceived by Dr. Kathryn Uhrich, the Dean of the Mathematical and Physical Sciences at the Rutgers School of Arts of Sciences. Dr. Uhrich is widely recognized as one of the leading innovators in polymer research. She is engaged in the study of the synthesis and characterization of biocompatible polymers for medical and dental applications, such as drug delivery and tissue engineering.

Dr. KiBum Lee obtained his PhD in Chemistry from the Northwestern University and completed his postdoctoral research in stem cell biology at the Scripps Research Institute. His primary research interest is in developing and integrating nanotechnologies and chemical functional genomics to modulate signaling pathways in cells (e.g. stem cells and cancer cells) towards specific cell lineages or behaviors.

Dr. Prabhas Moghe is a leading expert in stem cell bioengineering and profiling cell-biomaterial interactions. An International Fellow of Biomaterials Science and Engineering, he has directed a NSF funded IGERT Program on Stem Cell Science and Engineering, the first of its PhD training program in the USA and continues to direct a NIH CORE resource center on polymeric biomaterials on high content imaging technologies to purify and forecast stem cell fates in complex microenvironments. Dr. Moghe's team will investigate and benchmark stromal cell phenotypes in three-dimensional biomaterials.

About American CryoStem Corporation

A pioneer in the fields of Regenerative and Personalized Medicine, American CryoStem is a developer, marketer and global licensor of patented adipose tissue-based cellular technologies and related proprietary services with a focus on clinical processing, commercial bio-banking and application development for adipose (fat) tissue and autologous adipose-derived regenerative cells (ADRCs). The Company maintains a strategic portfolio of intellectual property and patent applications that form its Adipose Tissue Processing Platform, which supports and promotes a growing pipeline of biologic products and processes, clinical services and international licensing opportunities. Through its ACS Laboratories division, the Company operates an FDA registered, cGMP compliant human tissue processing, cryo-storage, cell culture and differentiation media development facility in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. For more information, please visit http://www.americancryostem.com and http://www.acslaboratories.com.

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American CryoStem to Collaborate With Rutgers University on Adipose-Derived Stem Cell Research