BioTime Demonstrates Efficient Method for the Manufacture of Cartilage-Producing Cells from Human Embryonic Stem Cells

ALAMEDA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BioTime, Inc. (NYSE Amex: BTX) and its wholly owned subsidiary OrthoCyte Corporation reported today a means of manufacturing cartilage from human embryonic stem cells that is suited for industrial scale-up of a product for the treatment of osteoarthritis. The paper, published online (ahead of print) in the peer-reviewed journal Regenerative Medicine, characterizes a progenitor cell line produced from human embryonic stem (hES) cells using proprietary ACTCellerate™ technology. The study reports that the cells are capable of regenerating cartilage with long sought-after identification markers. The study also shows that the cells can be directly expanded on a scale needed for industrial manufacture, which will be necessary in order to make transplantable cells available in commercial quantities.