I'm enjoying this release,...being an old cell culture folk,...
PharmaGap Patents new Method to Grow Skin Stem Cells
GAP on TSX Venture
OTTAWA, Jan. 16 /CNW/ - PharmaGap (GAP) has applied for a patent for a
method to culture and expand mammalian undifferentiated epidermal
keratinocytes exhibiting stem cell characteristics. The breakthrough comes
from the new capability to grow undifferentiated (stem-cell like) epidermal
cells (keratinocytes) and dermal cells (fibroblasts) with a single medium free
of animal products. Starting with a small number of stem-like keratinocytes (a
cell essential for skin development), large numbers of these can be grown,
alone or in combination with fibroblasts.
The breakthrough is three-fold.
First, the undifferentiated keratinocytes population is enriched to 90%.
Current commercial sources supply a maximum of 20% undifferentiated
keratinocytes.
Second, the two main components of skin, keratinocytes and fibroblasts,
are successfully grown in the same medium. This has hitherto not been
successfully accomplished.
Third, GAP's method uses absolutely no animal products, greatly reducing
the risk of immunotoxicity, a major concern in applications to human patients.
There are numerous applications. In wound-healing, the strongly binding
beta 1 integrin stem-like keratinocytes would be GAP-process selected and
concentrated. These, along with fibroblasts cells, would be applied to the
wound, and would begin to differentiate as they receive signals from the
patient's adjacent skin cells and the micro-environment. In-vitro observations
indicate the keratinocytes align themselves against the fibroblasts. This
mimics the way skin grows in the body. The large numbers of undifferentiated
keratinocytes should shorten healing time and increase the patient's chances
for quick and complete wound epithelization. Allogeneic (out-sourced) cultured
cells may initiate the process, followed by the addition of the patients' own
cells (autologous cells), also prepared by GAP's method, to ensure complete
wound closure. It is also expected that scaring will be greatly minimized or
eliminated. The market for wound healing is largest for burns and ulcers, and
GAP's technology should apply to both. In the U.S.A., 45,000 burn victims are
hospitalized each year. Skin ulcer patients receive treatment for approx.
400,000 diabetic skin ulcers each year and approx. 700,000 venous and pressure
ulcers (bed sores, etc.). Aesthetic and reconstructive surgery (plastic
surgery) could be another large, high profit potential market for GAP's
technology.
With the patent now filed, collaboration discussions with wound healing
and plastic surgery organizations will resume.
A second area of applications is improved capabilities in the testing of
drugs, pesticides, toxic gases, cosmetics and any other product topically
applied that enters (or not) the body via the skin. This will be particularly
of interest to European companies since animal use in cosmetic testing is
scheduled to be banned by 2009. The market for dermal tests is large, but has
not been quantified at this time.
PharmaGap Inc. has filed a formal Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)
application, designating all member states, on its method to growth mammalian
cells. A PCT application covers approximately 100 countries, including all
major countries.
About PharmaGap
---------------
PharmaGap is a new rational drug discovery company spun-off from the
National Research Council of Canada in 1999. Our main business consists in
synthesizing small proteins intended to treat major diseases. Our novel and
proprietary technology base comes from our understanding of intercellular
communications through Gap Junctions. Dysfunctional intercellular
communication is estimated to be associated with 70 % of all neurodegenerative
diseases, cancers, vascular and kidney diseases. The successful regulation of
cell communication systems would represent a new platform in the treatment of
all these diseases.
PharmaGap's understanding of cellular communications and stem cell
characteristics also provide for the invention of other biological and medical
treatments and tools, such as the skin-related invention herein described.
Robert Letellier,
President PharmaGap Inc.
The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has neither approved nor disapproved the
information herein contained. Certain information regarding PharmaGap may
constitute forward-looking statements and necessarily involve industry and
market risks; as a consequence, actual results may differ materially from
those anticipated in the forward-looking statements.
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For further information: R. Letellier, (613) 990-9551,
robert.letellier@pharmagap.com |
