BioTime, Inc. (NYSE Amex:BTX) today announced that it has
obtained an exclusive license from The Wistar Institute in
Philadelphia, PA for technology related to a gene designated as
SP100. Wistar Institute researchers have demonstrated pivotal roles
for this gene in both cancer and stem cell biology. Scientists at
BioTime’s subsidiaries OncoCyte Corporation and ReCyte Therapeutics
plan to apply this technology in the development of innovative
medical products for cancer and vascular diseases. In conjunction
with the license agreement, BioTime has agreed to fund research at
The Wistar Institute to advance the technology, and BioTime will
receive certain rights to negotiate additional licenses for any
technologies invented as a result of the research.
"It is rare to find a gene like SP100 that has such strategic
importance in diverse fields of medicine like oncology and stem
cell biology," said Michael West, Ph.D., BioTime's CEO. "The
discovery of the role this gene plays in regulating cell aging,
immortalization, the stem cell state, and cancer is both a
reflection of the stature of Wistar Institute researchers as well
as the power of modern medicine to uncover molecular mechanisms
that have long escaped understanding."
Background
The licensed technology was invented at The Wistar Institute and
described in an article published in 2010 in the journal Cancer
Research. In the article, Wistar Institute scientists reported that
when the SP100 gene is active, it has the potential to suppress the
malignancy of tumor cells. In addition, they found that when the
gene is artificially inactivated in normal human cells, it has the
potential to revert the cells to an embryonic stem cell-like
state.
Human embryonic stem (hES) cells are cells at very early stages
of development and are capable of differentiating into all the cell
types of the body. Moreover, hES cells possess the potential to
replicate in tissue culture without limit. When normal cells in the
body transform into cancer cells, they often acquire certain
features resembling those of hES cells, including the ability to
replicate indefinitely. However, in cancer cells, this replicative
feature is typically uncontrolled. The SP100 technology that
BioTime has licensed from The Wistar Institute relates to the use
of SP100 to both “turn off” the cancerous characteristics of cells
and to make cells from the body competent for reprogramming back
into a stem cell state for use in regenerative medicine.
Cells that have been reprogrammed to a hES-like state are
commonly referred to as induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells and
may have the capability, like hES cells, to generate all cell types
of the body. iPS cells hold great promise as a means to produce
specific mature cell types similar or identical to those of a
patient’s own genetic background. This may permit the repair or
replacement of a patient’s damaged tissues and organs without the
risk of transplant rejection.
About BioTime, Inc.
BioTime, headquartered in Alameda, California, is a
biotechnology company focused on regenerative medicine and blood
plasma volume expanders. Its broad platform of stem cell
technologies is developed through subsidiaries focused on specific
fields of applications. BioTime develops and markets research
products in the field of stem cells and regenerative medicine,
including a wide array of proprietary ACTCellerate™ cell lines,
culture media, and differentiation kits. BioTime's wholly owned
subsidiary ES Cell International Pte. Ltd. has produced
clinical-grade human embryonic stem cell lines that were derived
following principles of Good Manufacturing Practice and currently
offers them for use in research. BioTime's therapeutic product
development strategy is pursued through subsidiaries that focus on
specific organ systems and related diseases for which there is a
high unmet medical need. BioTime's majority owned subsidiary Cell
Cure Neurosciences, Ltd. is developing therapeutic products derived
from stem cells for the treatment of retinal and neural
degenerative diseases. Cell Cure's minority shareholder Teva
Pharmaceutical Industries has an option to clinically develop and
commercialize Cell Cure's OpRegen™ retinal cell product for use in
the treatment of age-related macular degeneration. BioTime's
subsidiary OrthoCyte Corporation is developing therapeutic
applications of stem cells to treat orthopedic diseases and
injuries. Another subsidiary, OncoCyte Corporation, focuses on the
diagnostic and therapeutic applications of stem cell technology in
cancer, including the diagnostic product PanC-DxTM currently being
developed for the detection of cancer in blood samples, therapeutic
strategies using vascular progenitor cells engineered to destroy
malignant tumors. ReCyte Therapeutics, Inc. is developing
applications of BioTime's proprietary induced pluripotent stem cell
technology to reverse the developmental aging of human cells to
treat cardiovascular and blood cell diseases. BioTime's newest
subsidiary, LifeMap Sciences, Inc., is developing an online
database of the complex cell lineages arising from stem cells to
guide basic research and to market BioTime's research products. In
addition to its stem cell products, BioTime develops blood plasma
volume expanders, blood replacement solutions for hypothermic
(low-temperature) surgery, and technology for use in surgery,
emergency trauma treatment and other applications. BioTime's lead
product, Hextend®, is a blood plasma volume expander manufactured
and distributed in the U.S. by Hospira, Inc. and in South Korea by
CJ CheilJedang Corp. under exclusive licensing agreements.
Additional information about BioTime, ReCyte Therapeutics, Cell
Cure, OrthoCyte, OncoCyte, BioTime Asia, LifeMap Sciences, and ESI
can be found on the web at www.biotimeinc.com.
About ReCyte Therapeutics
ReCyte Therapeutics, Inc. is a majority-owned privately-held
subsidiary of BioTime, Inc. ReCyte Therapeutics is developing novel
pluripotent stem cell-derived products for the regeneration, repair
or protection of diseased or injured tissue, with a particular
emphasis on age-related vascular and related disorders. Its product
candidates are either cellular or acellular (cell-free), depending
on the intended clinical indications, and address major unmet
medical needs for effective treatments in areas such as coronary
disease, heart failure, stroke, and ischemic injury. In one such
application, ReCyte Therapeutics is employing its proprietary
ReCyte™ induced pluripotent stem cell (iPS) reprogramming
technology to reverse developmental aging of human cells. The
renewed cells can be used to generate vascular and blood progenitor
cells for treating a broad variety of disorders. ReCyte
Therapeutics has already demonstrated consistent derivations of
human endothelial progenitor cells from pluripotent embryonic stem
cell lines under cGMP-compatible culture conditions that approach
clinically relevant scale. ReCyte Therapeutics is also
characterizing unique secreted products such as trophic factors and
extracellular matrix derived from proprietary human embryonic
progenitor cell lines. These products may be exploited as acellular
therapeutics that can “instruct” normal tissue-resident stem cells
in patients to regenerate or repair damaged
tissues. Additional information on ReCyte Therapeutics can be
found on the web at www.recytecorp.com.
About OncoCyte Corporation
OncoCyte Corporation is a majority-owned privately-held
subsidiary of BioTime, Inc. OncoCyte's mission is to develop novel
products for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer based on
embryonic stem cell-derived technology in order to improve both the
quality and length of life of cancer patients. OncoCyte's molecular
diagnostics division is developing products that should provide for
earlier detection and more effective treatment of numerous cancers.
In addition to its diagnostic product line, OncoCyte is developing
cellular therapies to treat cancer based on the unique biology of
vascular precursor cells. The goal of OncoCyte's therapeutic
research efforts is to derive vascular cells that can be engineered
to deliver a toxic payload to the developing blood vessels of a
malignant tumor to destroy the tumor without killing nearby normal
tissues in the body. Additional information on OncoCyte can be
found on the web at www.oncocyte.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements pertaining to future financial and/or operating
results, future growth in research, technology, clinical
development, and potential opportunities for BioTime and its
subsidiaries, along with other statements about the future
expectations, beliefs, goals, plans, or prospects expressed by
management constitute forward-looking statements. Any statements
that are not historical fact (including, but not limited to
statements that contain words such as "will," "believes," "plans,"
"anticipates," "expects," "estimates") should also be considered to
be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve
risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, risks
inherent in the development and/or commercialization of potential
products, uncertainty in the results of clinical trials or
regulatory approvals, need and ability to obtain future capital,
and maintenance of intellectual property rights. Actual results may
differ materially from the results anticipated in these
forward-looking statements and as such should be evaluated together
with the many uncertainties that affect the business of BioTime and
its subsidiaries, particularly those mentioned in the cautionary
statements found in BioTime's Securities and Exchange Commission
filings. BioTime disclaims any intent or obligation to update these
forward-looking statements.
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