KYOTO, Japan and IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- PrimeGen Biotech announced today the presentation of preliminary data on their human pluripotent stem cell platform at the 1st International Symposium on Germ Cells, Epigenetics, Reprogramming and Embryonic Stem Cells, currently being held in Kyoto, Japan. The presentation describes PrimeGen’s method of deriving pluripotent stem cells from an adult source, previously thought possible only from embryonic stem cells.
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PrimeGen Biotech applied its proprietary therapeutic reprogramming process to human adult germ-line stem cells, termed PrimeCell(TM). The company expects the human cells will also prove to be pluripotent, replicating results derived from murine models where germ-line stem cells were shown to be pluripotent after therapeutic reprogramming. Germ-line stem cells naturally form only the reproductive gamete cells: sperm and eggs.
Reprogrammed germ-line stem cells are a promising new stem cell type and may have unique advantages over other stem cell lines. Germ-line stem cells have been shown to contain an evolutionarily conserved genome, which is essential for species propagation.
“If these stem cells incurred the same damages or underwent the aging mechanism as other cells, the genomes of egg and sperm cells would become compromised and eventually a species would not be able to successfully produce new offspring. Our approach is designed to allow us to harness the germ-line stem cell’s essentially uncompromised genetic material and direct it to differentiate into other cell types, like cardiomyocytes, which will inherit the parent cells’ high quality cellular constituents,” said K.-Y. Francis Pau, Ph.D., Director of Research and Development at PrimeGen Biotech. “We are hopeful that these essentially new cellular constituents will enable PrimeCell(TM) differentiated cell lines to perform superior functional repair for added therapeutic benefit.”
The most notable perceived drawback of adult stem cells has been their implied lack of pluripotency. Classically derived embryonic stem cells, while pluripotent, have their own set of technical hurdles as well as political and ethical implications. PrimeGen’s method provides a means of developing adult-derived pluripotent stem cells without the cellular damages commonly incurred by technical manipulations and the natural processes of differentiation.
“I am proud of our innovative team and this promising work in the field of regenerative medicine. We are now beginning to see the fruit of three years of hard work, and we look forward to continuing to report on our progress in developing the most therapeutically potent stem cells available,” said Thomas C.K. Yuen, PrimeGen’s Chairman and CEO.
Mr. Yuen, the principal investor of PrimeGen Biotech, has directed corporate development of PrimeGen since its inception in 2002. Mr. Yuen co-founded AST Research, Inc. in 1980 and was the Co-Chairman of AST. Under his leadership, AST became a Fortune 500 company in 1991. Since 1992 Mr. Yuen has focused his efforts on investing in promising new companies. Mr. Yuen currently is the Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of SRS Labs, a leading audio technology licensing company based in Santa Ana, California. He is on the Board of Trustees for the University of California, Irvine and is an active philanthropist in Orange County.
“The aim of regenerative medicine is to provide the best cell-based therapies for a wide range of degenerative diseases. We will continue to develop our platform and join in the quest to provide the best possible cell for each therapeutic need,” said Mr.Yuen.
About PrimeGen Biotech, LLC
PrimeGen Biotech LLC is a three-year old privately held stem cell research firm dedicated to providing the most potent regenerative cells for use in diverse therapeutic applications. The company’s premier platform, PrimeCell(TM), is based on the therapeutic reprogramming of germ-line stem cells to yield a genomically pristine, pluripotent adult stem cell. PrimeGen’s innovative science and unique approach qualify it as one of the preeminent stem cell research firms within the emerging field of regenerative medicine. PrimeGen currently operates in a 28,000 sq ft biotech facility in Irvine, California. The company is actively developing its human pluripotent stem cell platform and other autologous adult stem cell technologies.
For more information, visit www.primegenbiotech.com
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CONTACT: Jennifer MacArthur, Ph.D., Account Executive, +1-858-527-3497,jmacarthur@irpr.com, or Virginia Amann, Vice President, +1-608-274-6046,vamann@irpr.com, both of Atkins + Associates, for PrimeGen Biotech
Web site: http://www.primegenbiotech.com/
