StemCells, Inc. (NASDAQ:STEM) announced today plans to present data from
its Phase I clinical trial of its proprietary HuCNS-SC®
product candidate (purified human neural stem cells) at the 12th
International Congress on Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinoses (NCL) being
held June 3 - 6, 2009 in Hamburg, Germany. Stephen Huhn, MD, FACS, FAAP,
vice president and head of the Company’s CNS program, is scheduled to
present the data on Saturday, June 6.
The six-patient Phase I trial, conducted at Oregon Health & Science
University Doernbecher Children's Hospital, was designed primarily to
assess the safety associated with transplanting HuCNS-SC cells as a
treatment for infantile and late infantile NCL, often referred to as
Batten disease.
About Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (Batten Disease)
Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder
that afflicts infants and young children. The disorder is caused by
genetic mutations, and children who inherit the defective gene are
unable to produce enough of an enzyme that processes cellular waste
substances that accumulate in a part of cells known as the lysosome.
Without the enzyme, the cellular waste builds up, and eventually the
cells cannot function and die. Children with NCL appear healthy when
born, but as their brain cells die, they begin to suffer seizures and
progressively lose motor skills, sight and mental capacity. Eventually,
these children become blind, bedridden and unable to communicate or
function on their own. There currently is no cure for the disease. The
infantile and late infantile forms of NCL are caused by different
genetic mutations. As the names imply, the two forms begin to afflict
patients at different stages of infancy, but both have similar disease
progression and outcomes.
About HuCNS-SC® Cells
StemCells’ lead product candidate, HuCNS-SC cells, is a purified
composition of normal human neural stem cells that are expanded and
stored as banks of cells. The Company’s preclinical research has shown
that HuCNS-SC cells can be directly transplanted; they engraft, migrate,
differentiate into neurons and glial cells; and they survive for as long
as one year with no sign of tumor formation or adverse effects. These
findings show that HuCNS-SC cells, when transplanted, act like normal
stem cells, suggesting the possibility of a continual replenishment of
normal human neural cells.
About StemCells, Inc.
StemCells, Inc.
