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Hi, hier ist die Meldung im Originaltext (aus PRNewswire) Falls ich mal Zeit habe, übersetze ich Euch die Meldung. Bin schon ziemlich lange in GERON investiert :-)) und habe sukzessive - z.T. sehr teuer :-(( - nachgekauft. edgar99 Geron Achieves Breakthrough in Scalable Growth of Human Embryonic Stem Cells MENLO PARK, Calif., Oct. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Geron Corporation (Nasdaq: GERN) announced the publication of research results that describe the culture of human embryonic stem (hES) cells in the absence of direct feeder cell support. The finding greatly facilitates the development of scalable manufacturing processes to enable commercialization of hES cell-based products. Since their initial derivation in 1998, hES cells have been grown in direct contact with mouse feeder cells. The mouse feeder cells supply necessary components to maintain the pluripotent and proliferative capacity of undifferentiated hES cells. In work published today in the journal Nature Biotechnology, Geron scientists report that hES cell lines can be grown in the absence of direct contact with mouse feeder cells. When hES cells were cultivated in conditioned medium together with an extracellular matrix, the hES cells proliferated in an undifferentiated state for more than 130 population doublings and maintained their ability to differentiate into all three developmental lineages. The "feeder-free" hES populations maintained a normal chromosomal complement and proliferated at the same rate as those cells cultured on mouse feeder cells. The results demonstrate new culture conditions that enable scale-up production and maintenance of the pluripotent state of hES cells. Geron has filed worldwide patent applications covering this technology. The work has positive implications for the development of hES cell-based commercial products. Elimination of feeder cells is essential for scalable production of hES cell-based products. Moreover, conditioned medium from well-characterized cell lines can be manufactured and tested in bulk quantities, facilitating development of reproducible quality-controlled processes for cell product manufacturing. "This development is important and illustrative of our product development efforts at Geron to devise reliable methods to produce cost effective cell-based products for both drug discovery and regenerative medicine applications," said Thomas B. Okarma, Ph.D., M.D., Geron`s president and chief executive officer. Geron Corporation is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing therapeutic and diagnostic products for applications in oncology and regenerative medicine, and research tools for drug discovery. Geron`s product development programs are based upon three patented core technologies: telomerase, human embryonic stem cells and nuclear transfer. This news release may contain forward-looking statements made pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements in this press release regarding product development and future applications of Geron`s technology constitute forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, risks inherent in the development and commercialization of potential products and the maintenance of our intellectual property rights. Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements. Additional information on potential factors that could affect our results and other risks and uncertainties are detailed from time to time in Geron`s periodic reports, including the quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2001. To receive an index and copies of recent press releases, call Geron`s News On Demand toll-free fax service, 1-800-782-3279. Additional information about Geron Corporation can be obtained at http://www.geron.com Geron Develops and Files Patents on Feeder-Free Growth Conditions for Human Embryonic Stem Cells Backgrounder October 2001 Introduction Human embryonic stem (hES) cells are capable of differentiating into all major cell types of the body. In addition, hES cells have an unlimited capacity to divide, making them a potential source of cells for the treatment of numerous degenerative diseases. Since their initial derivation in 1998, hES cells have been grown in direct contact with mouse feeder cells. The mouse feeder cells supply necessary components to maintain the pluripotent and proliferative capacity of the undifferentiated hES cells. In work published in the October issue of Nature Biotechnology, Geron scientists have discovered methods to maintain hES cell growth in the absence of direct feeder cell support. These findings will enable the development of scaled processes for the production of hES cell-based products. Isolation of hES Cells hES cells were isolated by removing the inner cell mass (ICM) from embryos donated under informed consent, produced from in vitro fertilization procedures and no longer needed for reproductive purposes. The hES cells of the ICM were then placed onto a layer of mouse fibroblasts. These mouse cells serve as "feeders" and provide a substrate for the long-term maintenance and proliferation of the undifferentiated cells. hES cells express the immortalizing enzyme, telomerase, thereby giving hES cells the unlimited capacity to divide. hES cells, when subsequently placed in appropriate culture conditions, differentiate into functional cells representing all three developmental lineages of the body, namely the endoderm, mesoderm, and ectoderm. The Development: "Feeder-Free" Culture of hES Cells Although hES cells can be sustained on mouse feeder cells for an indefinite period of time, this method requires the continual co-culture of human and mouse cells, a method which is not easily amenable to scale-up and yields hES cells contaminated by mouse cells and proteins. In the studies reported in the October issue of Nature Biotechnology, Geron scientists describe methods to grow hES cells in the absence of direct contact with feeder cells. When the hES cells are cultivated in conditioned medium together with an extracellular matrix, the hES cells will proliferate in an undifferentiated state. The cells cultured without feeder cells proliferated for over 130 population doublings yet maintained their ability to differentiate into cells representing all three developmental lineages. The "feeder-free" hES populations also maintained a normal complement of chromosomes, and proliferated at the same rate as those cells cultured on mouse feeder cells. Implications of "Feeder-Free" Culture of hES Cells The development of "feeder-free" methods to culture hES cells is a major step forward in developing commercial scale processes to produce hES cell-based products. Elimination of feeder cells simplifies the scale-up production of hES cells. Extracelluar matrix components are characterized and widely available from commercial sources. Conditioned medium from qualified, well-characterized cell lines can be manufactured and tested in bulk quantities, facilitating development of controlled reproducible processes for manufacturing hES cell-based products. Geron is developing processes to differentiate hES cells into several cell types, including neurons, hepatocytes and cardiomyocytes. Geron has built a patent portfolio of more than 30 patent applications related to hES cell development technologies, including the feeder-free process published today. hES Cell Product Applications Geron`s hES cell technology together with its proprietary platforms in telomerase and nuclear transfer are being used to develop products for both drug discovery and regenerative medicine applications. Today, in the drug discovery process, normal primary tissue cells are not readily available, and most candidate drugs are not tested early for their efficacy or safety in primary human tissue samples. Instead, animal models are used. hES cells, differentiated into any of a number of cell types, could be used to screen the effectiveness or toxicity of new candidate drugs. hES cell derivatives could also be used to create human cell models of the disease state being treated and facilitate the selection of more efficacious drugs for development. hES cell-based efficacy and toxicity screening could be implemented earlier in the drug discovery process, accelerating drug development timeframes and decreasing the risk of drug failures in clinical trials. Geron is developing hES cell-based therapies for the treatment of a variety of degenerative diseases. For instance, dopaminergic neurons derived from hES cells could be used to treat Parkinson`s disease. Likewise, cardiomyocytes and hepatocytes differentiated from hES cells could be transplanted to replace the lost function of these cells in patients with congestive heart failure or liver disease. Because of the unlimited growth potential of hES cells and Geron`s ability with telomerase to extend the replicative capacity of differentiated cells produced from hES cells, the production of cells for transplantation applications can occur in large batch manufacturing lots. This means that for the first time, cell therapy products can be scalably produced in much the same way monoclonal antibodies or protein biologicals are manufactured. This will translate into low cost-of-goods manufacturing and distribution systems that previously have been unachievable with traditional individualized cell therapies. Geron Corporation is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing therapeutic and diagnostic products for applications in oncology and regenerative medicine, and research tools for drug discovery. Geron`s product development programs are based upon three patented core technologies: telomerase, human embryonic stem cells and nuclear transfer. This backgrounder may contain forward-looking statements made pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements in this backgrounder regarding product development and future applications of Geron`s technology constitute forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, risks inherent in the development and commercialization of potential products and the maintenance of our intellectual property rights. Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements. Additional information on potential factors that could affect our results and other risks and uncertainties are detailed from time to time in Geron`s periodic reports, including the quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2001. Click here SOURCE Geron Corporation Web Site: http://www.geron.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Issuers of news releases and not PR Newswire are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content. Copyright © 1996-2001 PR Newswire Association Inc. All Rights Reserved. A United Business Media company. |
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| aus der Diskussion: | Geron --- Stammzellen---Durchbruch |
| Autor (Datum des Eintrages): | edgar99 (05.10.01 15:36:59) |
| Beitrag: | 5 von 9 (ID:4572603) |
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