A New Stem Cell Collaboration, NeoStem (NASDAQ: NBS)
NeoStem, Inc. (NBS) announced a collaboration with ImmuneRegen Biosciences, a wholly owned subsidiary of IR Biosciences Holdings, Inc. (OTCBB: IRBS). NeoStem will investigate whether Homspera, ImmuneRegen’s lead product, will enhance stem cell activity when used in combination with NBS’s VSEL technology.
NBS provides adult stem cell collection and banking for adults and is also conducting R&D on adult stem cells, including VSEL-based therapies, for regenerative purposes in the US and China.
- NBS holds an exclusive license for very small embryonic-like stem cells (VSELs), which are found in the bone marrow and can be harvested from the peripheral blood of adults,
- NBS harvests these very small embryonic-like stem cells from individual patients, representing a significant step toward overcoming 2 current limitations in the development of stem cell therapies: the ethical dilemma surrounding embryonic stem cells, and the immunological problems associated with using cells from a donor.
ImmuneRegen’s, Homspera seems to aid differentiation of human adult stem cells, particularly into hematopoietic stem cells that can become blood cells and form the foundation of the body’s immune system. Like hematopoietic stem cells, VSELs are also found in adults, but may have broader applications and are morphologically closer to embryonic stem cells in their potential.
- Terms of the collaboration include the right to execute an option agreement to negotiate an exclusive license to resulting technology as it builds of a network of adult stem cell collection centers in the US and China. NeoStem owns a majority position in Suzhou Erye, which manufactures and distributes generic antibiotics in China.
