International Stem Cell Corporation's Human Parthenogenetic Stem Cells to be used in the Development of Treatments for Liver Disease

OCEANSIDE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--International Stem Cell Corporation (OTCBB:ISCO) announced today that its human parthenogenetic stem cell lines will be used in studies aimed at creating liver cells to treat human liver disease.

“As stem cell therapies using ISCO’s human parthenogenetic stem cell lines are advanced and approved by researches and regulatory authorities, they will become an integral and recurring part of future stem cell therapies that are brought to market”

The studies will be carried out under a Material Transfer Agreement between ISCO and the University of California, San Francisco. Holger Willenbring, MD, UCSF assistant professor of surgery, will direct the research.

“The fact that Dr. Willenbring and the University of California at San Francisco are testing the ability of ISCO’s human parthenogenetic stem cells to form liver cells is a strong validation of their potential value in creating therapeutic cells that have significant immune rejection advantages and significant ethical advantages,” said Jeffrey Janus, ISCO’s President.

ISCO’s human parthenogenetic stem cells are created from unfertilized human eggs and do not involve the destruction of fertilized embryos, yet share with conventional human embryonic stem cells the ability to differentiate into all tissue types. They also are the first step in solving one of the major obstacles to stem cell therapy, the rejection of implanted cells by the patient’s own immune system.

Human parthenogenetic stem cells will be expanded and differentiated into liver cells in culture. The function and hence therapeutic value of these liver cells will be tested by transplantation into an immune-deficient mouse model of human liver disease.

A description of ISCO’s human parthenogenetic stem cells and their potential to solve critical immune rejection problems was reported in ISCO’s peer review paper published December 19, 2007 in the online edition of Cloning and Stem Cells Journal: http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/clo.2007.0063.

Elena Revazova, M.D., Ph.D., ISCO’s Chief Scientific Officer, stated, “ISCO has created a human parthenogenetic stem cell line called phSC-Hhom-4. Cells derived from this line will not be immune rejected after transplantation into millions of individuals of differing sexes, ages and racial groups.”

“Our business model,” added Mr. Aldrich, ISCO’s Chairman and CEO, “is to make our cell lines and intellectual property easily available, and thereby become a supplier of therapeutic cells for use by patients around the world. To reach that goal, our intent is to distribute our human parthenogenetic stem cell lines to as many qualified researchers as possible so they may develop cures to as many human diseases as rapidly as possible.”

“As stem cell therapies using ISCO’s human parthenogenetic stem cell lines are advanced and approved by researches and regulatory authorities, they will become an integral and recurring part of future stem cell therapies that are brought to market,” concluded Mr. Janus.

The information stated above was prepared by ISCO. Nothing in this statement shall be construed to imply any support or endorsement of ISCO, or any of its products, by The Regents of the University of California, its officers, agents and employees.

About International Stem Cell Corporation (ISCO.OB):

International Stem Cell Corporation is a California biotechnology company focused on developing therapeutic and research products. ISCO’s technology, parthenogenesis, results in the creation of pluripotent human stem cell lines from unfertilized human eggs. ISCO scientists have created the first parthenogenetic homozygous stem cell line (phSC-Hhom-4) that can be a source of therapeutic cells that will not be immune rejected after transplantation into millions of individuals of differing sexes, ages and racial groups. These advancements offer the potential to create the first true “Stem Cell Bank” and address ethical issues by eliminating the need to use or destroy fertilized embryos. ISCO also produces and markets specialized cells and growth media worldwide for therapeutic research through its subsidiary Lifeline Cell Technology. For more information, visit the ISCO website at: www.internationalstemcell.com.

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