TheraVitae Presents Blood-borne Stem Cell Research Innovations at International Society for Cellular Therapy Annual Meeting in Berlin, Germany
Dr. Yael Porat, Vice-President of Research & Development, TheraVitae Ltd., delivered two poster presentations outlining the latest advances in its ongoing research into blood-borne stem cell biology and its clinical applications at the 12th International Society for Cellular Therapy Annual Meeting held in Berlin, Germany.
Berlin, Germany (PRWEB) May 9, 2006
Dr. Yael Porat, Vice-President of Research & Development, TheraVitae Ltd, TheraVitae, producer of VesCell™ -- adult stem cell therapy for heart disease, presented the latest advances in its ongoing research into blood-borne stem cell biology and its clinical applications at the 12th International Society for Cellular Therapy Annual, which recently took place in Berlin from 4-7 May 2006.
The two poster presentations showcased the discovery of unique stem cell populations, which TheraVitae scientists have successfully isolated from human blood, and their potential to turn into different tissues in-vitro. The ability to obtain this population directly from blood using a simple, painless and rapid isolation process constitutes a major breakthrough in adult stem cell research and builds on the clinical success that VesCell™ has already demonstrated in the treatment of severe heart disease.
Remarking on the ground breaking developments made by TheraVitae’s R&D team, Dr. Porat stated “TheraVitae’s goal is to help patients suffering from hitherto untreatable diseases, and the new advances we are presenting at the ISCT meeting constitute another step towards achieving the development of additional autologous adult stem cell therapies.”
“Blood cells are a very accessible source of progenitor cells. Furthermore, their potential to generate a variety of cell types appears endless. Our goal is to push the boundaries of stem cell science by constantly developing new therapeutic cellular products.”, she added.
The first presentation ‘Synergetic Cell Population: A Multipotent Human Blood-Derived Cell Population as a Potential Source of Therapeutic progenitor Cells’ described the use of TheraVitae’s core technology. The simple, robust and rapid method of isolation of this distinctive cell population residing in the peripheral blood can lead to the development of treatments for a variety of diseases using autologous (the patient’s own) cells.
‘Adult Human Blood-Derived Leukocytes: An Efficient Source For Tissue Committed Neural Progenitors’ illustrated the development of neural-like cells from blood cells, and gives results from in-vitro and in-vivo preliminary experiments. Results show that the generation of therapeutically significant numbers of functional neural cell precursors from peripheral blood is feasible.
Dr. Valentin Fulga, CEO of TheraVitae commented: “We are proud with the fact that ISCT accepted two abstracts describing our scientists’ findings and that TheraVitae’s research results are being recognized by the scientific community. It is thanks to Yael, and her team’s efforts and skills that our company could achieve those results. I am sure that their continuous hard work and dedication will lead TheraVitae to additional accomplishments for the benefit of patients suffering from severe diseases.”
About the International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT)
The ISCT is the professional organization for those working or interested in cell-based research, processing, manipulation, and clinical translation. Established in 1992, the Society provides a global forum for: communication, education and training; performance of collaborative scientific studies; development and validation of standardized technology; representation of the membership to other professional organizations and regulatory and governmental bodies.
ISCT Website: http://www. celltherapysociety. org/ (http://www. celltherapysociety. org/)
About the ISCT Annual Meeting
The 12th Annual Meeting of the International Society for Cellular Therapy took place May 4 – 7, 2005 in Berlin, Germany. With the explosion of research, clinical trials, and general interest in the basic science and therapeutic applications of all types of cell, gene, and tissue-based technologies, ISCT 2006 provided participants with a unique opportunity to interact with researchers, laboratory professionals, physicians, regulatory specialists, business leaders and investment professionals all working, or interested, in various types of cellular therapy research.
Download the ISCT 2006 Program:
Http://www. celltherapysociety. org/files/PDF/Meetings/ISCT_2006_Program. pdf (http://www. celltherapysociety. org/files/PDF/Meetings/ISCT_2006_Program. pdf)
About TheraVitae
TheraVitae is a private, multinational company focused on using stem cells from the patient's own blood in order to treat a variety of disorders, especially cardiovascular diseases. The company has already developed a proprietary stem cell technology ‘VesCell™’ that is currently being used by hospitals in Thailand to treat patients with Heart Disease. TheraVitae is based in Bangkok, Thailand, Kiryat Weizmann, Israel, Toronto, Canada, Singapore, Taipei, Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Http://www. theravitae. com (http://www. theravitae. com)
TheraVitae Thailand
36/72 PS Tower, 21/Fl., Sukhumvit 21, Klongtoey Nua, Bangkok 10110
Phone: 02-664-4290/3
Fax: 02-664-42-89
TheraVitae Israel
7 Pinhas Sapir Street P. O. Box 4049, Ness Ziona 74140, Israel
Phone: +972-8-9409170
Fax: +972-8-9409167
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