MII Microislet

* Two Key Hires Are Added to Support Initiation of Human Trials SAN DIEGO, Nov. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- MicroIslet, Inc. (AMEX:MII), a biotechnology company engaged in the research, development and commercialization of patented technologies in transplantation therapy for people with insulin-dependent diabetes, today announced the appointment of two scientific officers to support the Company's goal of moving its islet transplantation therapies into human trials and, ultimately, commercialization. MicroIslet has appointed Mohammad A. El-Kalay, Ph.D. as Vice President of Research and Development, replacing Ronnda L. Bartel, Ph.D., and has added William Soo Hoo, Ph.D. to its scientific roster as Director of Cell Biology. Dr. El-Kalay has over twenty years of biotechnology management experience building and leading Research and Product/Process Development teams. He has participated in the development of cell-based therapies for tissue regeneration applications including bone, cartilage and cardiac repair. Dr. Soo Hoo brings to MicroIslet fifteen years of scientific research experience in mid-size, large and start-up companies in oncology, immunotherapy, cell and molecular immunology, highlighted by his strengths in team management and taking research work into development stages. Both Dr. El-Kalay and Dr. Soo Hoo join the Company from Telos Pharmaceuticals, LLC, a San Diego-based company that developed monoclonal antibodies that modulate T-cell activity. Dr. El-Kalay was Director of Product Development at Applied Immune Sciences where he led the team that designed and manufactured various cell selection (T-cell and hematopoietic stem cell) devices. Dr. El-Kalay was Director of Device Engineering, at SyStemix, Inc., where he lead a multi-disciplinary team of scientists and engineers and developed a novel immunoselection device to isolate and purify rare populations of hematopoietic stem cells. He also served at Osiris Therapeutics, Inc. where he and his team applied the regenerative properties of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in clinical trials that evaluated these cells in alveolar ridge augmentation. He was Vice President of Process and Product Development, at Morphogen Pharmaceuticals Inc., where he and his team demonstrated that allogeneic muscle-derived pluripotent stem cells significantly improved cardiac function in myocardial infarcted rat models. Most recently, Dr. El-Kalay was Senior Vice President of Research and Development at ValeocyTe Therapies developing activated T-cell products to treat renal cell carcinoma. He served as Senior Vice President of Development at Telos Pharmaceuticals until joining MicroIslet, and led a program to generate various monoclonal antibodies. Dr. El-Kalay holds a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering with honors, and a Masters Degree and Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Strathclyde University in Glasgow, Scotland. Dr. El-Kalay has served on the scientific advisory boards of several stem cell companies, is currently a Scientific Associate in the Molecular Biology Department at The Scripps Research Institute, and serves as a Member of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of a San Diego-based biotechnology company. He holds multiple patents on methods for the processing of whole blood and cell separation for therapeutic uses. Dr. Soo Hoo was most recently Director of Research at Telos Pharmaceuticals until joining MicroIslet. He managed team research activities, developmental programs, and outside collaborative efforts in the areas of infectious disease vaccine adjuvants for influenza and hepatitis B. Earlier he was a Staff Scientist with Genoptix, Inc., where he conceived and built and led a team to develop that company's first cellular diagnostic applications in the areas of immunology, infectious diseases, and cancer. In addition, he was Research Manager with Tragen Pharmaceuticals, LLC (formerly Immunogenex), where he worked with a team using recombinant adenoviral vectors for the immunotherapy of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Dr. Soo Hoo held progressively more responsible positions with The Immune Response Corporation, beginning as Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Immunotherapeutics and then as Senior Research Scientist in the Autoimmune Disease Department, where he developed recombinant T-cell receptor proteins for a rodent model of multiple sclerosis. He was then promoted to Staff Scientist within the Cancer Vaccine department, where he led a group in the development and evaluation of cytokine-secreting tumor cell vaccines in preclinical and clinical projects. Dr. Soo Hoo also worked on monoclonal antibody development and molecular immunology preclinical projects at Hybritech Incorporated for five years. Dr. Soo Hoo holds a B.A. in Biochemistry and Cell Biology from the University of California, San Diego, and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Soo Hoo is a reviewer for Cancer Letters and has authored numerous scientific papers, presentations, grant applications and patents in areas of immunology, immunotherapy, diagnostics, and adjuvant technology. Dr. Soo Hoo is the inventor of a technology for the generation and evaluation of membrane-bound GM-CSF cancer vaccines. "We are very pleased to add Dr. El-Kalay and Dr. Soo Hoo to MicroIslet's scientific team," commented James R. Gavin III, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of MicroIslet. "Both gentlemen will greatly strengthen our resources in product development and validation assay support for clinical trials." Dr. Gavin continued, "We will miss the day-to-day contributions of Dr. Ronnda Bartel, who left our company to assume the role of Vice President of Research and Development with a stem cell based company. However, Dr. Bartel will continue to provide her insights and guidance to us as a consultant and as a member of our Scientific Advisory Board. We are positioned to move forward with our pending clinical trials of our microencapsulated allotransplantation candidate known as MicroIslet-H(TM), in collaboration with The Scripps Research Institute and the City of Hope." About MicroIslet MicroIslet is a biotechnology company engaged in the research, development, and commercialization of patented technologies in the field of transplantation therapy for people with insulin-dependent diabetes. MicroIslet's islet transplantation technology, including patented technology exclusively licensed from Duke University, includes methods for isolating, culturing, cryopreservation, and immuno-protection (microencapsulation) of islet cells. MicroIslet is working to develop and commercialize a first product, called MicroIslet-H(TM), a microencapsulated human islet cell suspension that will be used for transplantation in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes. MicroIslet is also working to develop and commercialize a second product, MicroIslet-P(TM), a microencapsulated porcine islet cell suspension for transplantation in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes, which if successful, will address the inherently limited supply of human islets. Additional information about MicroIslet can be found at http://www.microislet.com/. Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release, including the expectation of development of new therapeutic products and the impact of MicroIslet's products on diabetes patients, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including MicroIslet's ability to continue as a going concern, the risks and uncertainties inherent in medical treatment discovery, development and commercialization, the risks and uncertainties associated with MicroIslet's early stage allotransplantation and xenotransplantation technologies, the risks and uncertainties of governmental approvals and regulation, dependence on the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research as a sole source supplier of animal parts for pre-clinical and clinical studies, MicroIslet's need to raise substantial additional capital to proceed through human clinical trials and bring any product to market, the risks that MicroIslet's competitors will develop or market technologies or products that are more effective or commercially attractive than MicroIslet's products, and other risks detailed from time to time in MicroIslet's most recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. MicroIslet disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements. For more information, please visit our Web site at http://www.microislet.com/. For further information, contact: Kevin A. Hainley, MicroIslet Inc. 858-657-0287, Sean Collins, Senior Partner CCG Investor Relations & Strategic Communications 310-231-8600 ext. 202 ISIN US59507Q1067 DATASOURCE: MicroIslet, Inc. CONTACT: Kevin A. Hainley of MicroIslet Inc., +1-858-657-0287, ; or Sean Collins, Senior Partner, of CCG Investor Relations & Strategic Communications, +1-310-231-8600, ext. 202, for MicroIslet, Inc. Web site: http://www.microislet.com/

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