Stem Cell Sciences Announces the Creation of th...

CAMBRIDGE, England, September 2 /PRNewswire/ --

- ("Stem Cell Sciences", "SCS", "the Company")

    Stem Cell Sciences plc (AIM:STEM, ASX:STC), a company focused on the
commercialisation of stem cells and stem cell technologies, is pleased to
announce that two independent laboratories in the UK and USA have achieved
germ-line transmission from embryonic stem (ES) cells in rats using
technologies exclusively licensed to the company by Edinburgh University.
This is believed to be the first time that germ-line transmission from rat ES
cells has been demonstrated, and full scientific reports on this
breakthrough, which has been independently verified, have been submitted to a
major scientific journal for publication.



    Under the terms of its agreement with Edinburgh University, SCS has
global exclusive rights to commercialise the rat ES cells, the specific
culture medium used to generate and grow the cells, and rats derived 
therefrom. The Company has exclusively licensed two important patents 
covering this new technology from the University and now plans to engage in
confidential discussions with interested parties seeking a sublicence to use
rat ES cells in their commercial drug discovery programmes.



    The main advantage of this important new technology is that it allows the
generation of both knock-out rat models, in which the effect of gene deletion
is studied, as well as the generation of knock-in models, which involves the
insertion of genes. For example, in the case of knock-out models, their
response to drugs can provide information on safety and efficacy.
Alternatively, the insertion of genes such as those involved in drug
metabolism in the human liver means that knock-in models can provide
information on human safety and pharmacokinetics.



    "This remarkable breakthrough will enable the generation of
transgenic rat models for drug discovery in a very similar manner to the
already widely used transgenic mice models. The advantage here is that rats
are viewed as more predictable human models than mice for several
psychiatric, neurological and cardiovascular drug targets. The ability to
knock-in human genes should also enable drug metabolism studies to be
undertaken with higher predictability in rats than previously available. We
believe this opens the way to new and more effective drug discovery, and
expect there to be considerable commercial interest in access to this
exciting technology," commented Dr Alastair Riddell, Chief Executive Officer
of Stem Cell Sciences.



    The culture medium patent family (PCT/GB2007/001163), which is filed in
multiple territories including the USA, contains several specific enzyme
inhibitors, which, when used in certain combinations, can be used to grow
embryonic (or pluripotent) rat stem cells reliably in a serum-free
environment. The rat ES cell patent family (PCT/GB2007/002913), which is also
filed in multiple territories including the USA, gives SCS the exclusive
right to make and commercialise unique rat models for biopharmaceutical
research and development, a global market with an estimated size in excess of
US$80m.



About Stem Cell Sciences plc

    Stem Cell Sciences (SCS) is an international research and
development company focusing on the commercial application of stem cell
biology technologies for drug discovery and regenerative medicine research.
Stem Cell Sciences is now focussing on building revenues through the sale of
products, collaborative research and licensing deals with international
biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.



    Stem Cell Sciences has a substantial portfolio of patents and
patent applications in both adult and embryonic stem cell fields. The Company
has been active in the stem cell research field since 1994, principally
focused on technologies to grow, differentiate, and purify adult and
embryonic stem cells. These include technologies to permit the generation of
highly purified stem cells and their differentiated progeny (specialised
tissue cell types) for use in genetic, pharmacological and toxicological
screens. Moreover, these technologies may be able to provide pure populations
of appropriate cell types for transplantation therapies in the future.



    The Company has its main research base and headquarters in
Cambridge, UK with a second research base in Monash near Melbourne, Australia
and a business development office in San Francisco, USA.



    For further information on the company please visit:
http://www.stemcellsciences.com.



    
    For further information, please contact:

    Stem Cell Sciences plc (United Kingdom),
    Alastair Riddell, CEO,
    Tim Allsopp, Chief Scientific Officer,
    [phone]

    Stem Cell Sciences LLC (United States),
    Rob Burgess,
    [phone]

    Stem Cell Sciences Pty Ltd (Australia),
    Paul Bello, Scientific Programme Manager,
    [phone]