Stem Cell Innovations' PluriCells(TM) to Form the Basis of a Liver Assist Device to Support Patients Waiting for Transplant

HOUSTON, Feb. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In a paper published in the most recent issue of Current Gastroenterology Reports, Drs. Norman L. Sussman, Brendan M. McGuire and James H. Kelly describe the need and requirements for a successful liver assist device. "There are currently three times as many patients on the waiting list for liver transplantation as there are organs available and few ways to stabilize them if they enter an acute phase of their disease," said Kelly, CEO of Stem Cell Innovations, Inc. .

This second generation device, based on the PluriCells, "combines the safety of primary hepatocytes (normal liver cells) with the standardization of a cell line," continued Kelly. "We're building on what we learned from our earlier device which utilizes the C3A cells that form the basis of Stem Cell Innovations' ACTIVTox(R) drug discovery products. We are one of the few companies that can approach this problem from both sides: from the stem cell and from the adult liver cell. We are using our PluriCell(TM) system to understand the requirements of the liver stem cell and our ACTIVTox system to understand the requirements of the mature cell."

Liver disease is a serious problem in the United States and worldwide. There are about 6,500 liver transplantations performed each year in the US, with about 16,000 on the waiting list, about 1,800 of whom will die each year without receiving an organ. A liver assist device would be expected to first find use in such acute cases but could be used more widely as experience grows.

Dr. Norman L. Sussman, MD is currently Director of Hepatology at the University of Utah School of Medicine and is also a Director of Stem Cell Innovations. Dr. Brendan M. McGuire, MD is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Alabama School of Medicine and is not affiliated with SCLL.

About Stem Cell Innovations, Inc.

SCLL is a cell biology company based in Houston, TX. The Company's ACTIVTox system is a human liver based model for high throughput toxicity testing. Stem Cell Innovations proprietary, human pluripotent stem cells, known as PluriCells, have the potential to aid in drug discovery, toxicology, and cell therapy.

Additional information is available at www.stemcellinnovations.com and at www.activtox.com.

ACTIVTox and PluriCells are Trademarks of Stem Cell Innovations, Inc.

Forward Looking Statement

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a "safe harbor" for forward looking statements. Forward-Looking statements are not statements of historical facts, but rather reflect our current expectations concerning future events and results. We use words such as "expects", "intends", "believes", "may", "will" and "anticipates" to indicate forward-looking statements. Because these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, there are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, those risks and uncertainties detailed in the Company's periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We caution that these risk factors may not be exhaustive. We operate in a continually changing business environment, and new risk factors emerge from time to time. We cannot predict these new risk factors, nor can we assess the effect, if any, of the new risk factors on our business or the extent to which any factor or combination of factors may cause actual results to differ from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.

If any one or more of these expectations and assumptions proves incorrect, actual results will likely differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Even if all of the foregoing assumptions and expectations prove correct, actual results may still differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements as a result of factors we may not anticipate or that may be beyond our control. While we cannot assess the future impact that any of these differences could have on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows or the market price of shares of our common stock, the difference could be significant. We do not undertake to update any forward-looking statements made by us, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. You are cautioned.

CONTACT: Dr. James H. Kelly of Stem Cell Innovations, +1-281-679-7900,
Kelly@stemcellinnovations.com

Web site: http://www.stemcellinnovations.com/

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