International Stem Cell Corporation’s (ISCO) Mission to Treat Parkinson’s Disease Coming into Focus
International Stem Cell Corporation (OTCQB: ISCO) builds shareholder value through its research with stem cells, otherwise known as cells that can both proliferate (divide) and change (differentiate) into more specialized cells, such as skin, nerve or liver cells. The most powerful stem cells are known as ‘pluripotent’, as they have the promise of becoming virtually any cell in the human body. The first pluripotent stem cells to be studied were embryonic stem cells (ESC) taken from donated human embryos. ISCO’s new class of pluripotent human stem cells are derived from unfertilized eggs. These stem cells, known as human parthenogenetic stem cells (hPSC) avoid the ethical issues associated with ESC while retaining many of the advantages.
The company’s work does not begin and end with research. International Stem Cell Corporation’s primary goal is to transform its research into treatment for those suffering with moderate to severe Parkinson’s disease, and if recent developments are any indication of the company’s progress in this area, the recent announcement that enrollment has started for its upcoming phase I clinical trial should remove all doubt. The trial is scheduled to take place at the Royal Melbourne Hospital in Australia.
In a news release, Dr. Russell Kern, executive vice president and chief scientific officer of ISCO, recently noted, “Enrollment in this trial is an important milestone… Promising preclinical results support our expectation that ISC-hpNSC will bring a long-needed solution for patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease.”
ISCO is a publicly traded biotechnology company which developed a powerful new stem cell technology called parthenogenesis that could significantly advance the field of regenerative medicine by addressing the problem of immune-rejection. Parthenogenesis (from the Greek parthenos, meaning “virgin” and genesis, meaning “birth”) uses unfertilized human eggs to create hpSC that can be immune-matched to millions of people. A relatively small number of hpSC lines could provide sufficient immune-matched cells to cover a large percentage of the world’s population.
The company’s human cell culture products also comprise adult stem cells and reagents for regenerative medicine; human prostate cells and specialized media to study prostate disease; human renal and bladder cells and media to study renal and bladder diseases; human corneal cells and media for the study of corneal disease; and other cell culture reagents and supplements for the growth, staining, and freezing of human cells. International Stem Cell Corporation was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Carlsbad, California.
For more information, visit www.internationalstemcell.com
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