EXTON, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fibrocell Science, Inc. (OTCBB:FCSC.OB) announced today the formation of the Clinical Investigations for Dermal Mesenchymally-Obtained Derivatives (CIDMOD) Initiative (www.CIDMOD.org) in collaboration with researchers from a number of different universities across the U.S. The CIDMOD Initiative will facilitate the collaboration of scientists, clinical researchers and private entities, including Fibrocell, to secure funding that will advance clinical research programs that may one day lead to new personalized cell therapies or diagnostic tools for a variety of diseases and conditions. The group will also submit grant requests to the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) and seek additional funding for the development of clinical research programs that use Fibrocell’s deep knowledge and expertise in cell isolation, purification and expansion via use of its proprietary technology.
“Fibrocell Science is excited to support the CIDMOD Initiative. We believe the future work conducted by the Initiative’s members will positively impact Fibrocell’s overall stem cell research strategy and significantly impact the future of personalized medicine,” said David Pernock, Chairman and CEO of Fibrocell Science, Inc.
Co-directors of the CIDMOD Initiative include:
- Dr. Daniel Anderson, PhD, Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, the Division of Health Sciences and Technology, and an intramural member of the David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Massachusetts
- Dr. James Byrne, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, Member of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
- Dr. Gay Crooks, MD, Professor in the Departments of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine and Pediatrics in the David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Co-Director of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, UCLA, and Director of the BSCRC flow cytometry core
- Dr. Steven Dubinett, MD, Professor in the Department of Pathology, Director of the UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) and Chief of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, UCLA
- Dr. V. Reggie Edgerton, PhD, Professor in the Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, UCLA
- Dr. Denis Evseenko, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Head of the Laboratory of Connective Tissue Regeneration, UCLA
- Dr. Donald Kohn, MD, Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Member of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, UCLA
- Dr. Daniel Lozano, MD, Medical Director of the Regional Burn Center, Lehigh Valley Health Network, Allentown, Pa.
- Dr. Gilly Munavalli, MD, Medical Director of the Dermatology, Laser and Vein Specialists of the Carolinas, PLLC, Assistant Professor of Dermatology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston, Salem, N.C.
- Dr. Patricia Phelps, PhD, Professor in the Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, UCLA
- Dr. Stacy Smith, MD, Dermatologist and Consultant, Volunteer Faculty in Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego
- Dr. Chia Soo, MD, Adjunct Associate Professor, UCLA
- Dr. Jeffrey Wang, MD, Professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Executive Director of the Comprehensive Spine Center, UCLA
- Dr. Jerome Zack, PhD, Professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, Member of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, UCLA
About Fibrocell Science Technology
Fibrocell Science has developed an innovative technology to isolate, purify and multiply a patient’s own fibroblast cells (a type of skin cell that makes collagen) for injection. Initially, this patented, proprietary technology was applied for use via the company’s first product on the market, LAVIV™ (azficel T). The technology is also being used to study the composition of skin tissue samples to identify, isolate, purify and multiply specialized dermal cell types, such as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and SSEA3-expressing regeneration-associated (SERA) cells. SERA cells may play a role in the regeneration of human skin in response to injury, and MSCs are being investigated for their ability to differentiate into cells that can form bone, cartilage and fat. Finding these specialized cells within skin cell cultures is important because rather than undergoing a surgical organ or tissue transplantation to replace diseased or destroyed tissue, patients may one day be able to benefit from procedures by which stem cells are extracted from their skin, differentiated into specific cell types, and re-implanted into their bodies to exert a therapeutic effect.
About Fibrocell Science, Inc.
Fibrocell Science, Inc. (OTCBB:FCSC.OB) is an autologous cellular therapeutic company focused on the development of innovative products for aesthetic, medical and scientific applications. Fibrocell Science is committed to advancing the scientific, medical and commercial potential of autologous skin and tissue, as well as its innovative cellular processing technology and manufacturing excellence. For additional information, please visit www.fibrocellscience.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
All statements in this press release that are not based on historical fact are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and the provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, whether the Initiative will be successful in securing funding, and whether future work conducted by the Initiative’s members will positively impact Fibrocell’s overall stem cell research strategy and significantly impact the future of personalized medicine. While management has based any forward-looking statements contained herein on its current expectations, the information on which such expectations were based may change. These forward-looking statements rely on a number of assumptions concerning future events and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are outside of the Company's control, that could cause actual results to materially differ from such statements. Such risks, uncertainties, and other factors include, but are not necessarily limited to, those set forth under Item 1A "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, as updated in "Item 1A. Risk Factors" in the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed since the annual report. The Company operates in a highly competitive and rapidly changing environment, thus new or unforeseen risks may arise. Accordingly, investors should not place any reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. The Company disclaims any intention to, and undertakes no obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements. Readers are also urged to carefully review and consider the other various disclosures in the Company's public filings with the SEC.