ReNeuron scientists generate pancreatic cell lines for treatment of diabetes
Guildford, UK, 22 June 2007: ReNeuron Group plc (LSE: RENE.L) today announces
that it has taken a major step forward with its ReN002 diabetes programme with
the generation of new data concerning its pancreatic cell lines for the
treatment of Type 1 (juvenile) diabetes. ReNeuron scientists have generated
stable human pancreatic cell lines that form islet-like cell clusters. These
clusters were shown to secrete insulin in response to glucose concentrations,
demonstrating their potential as a cell therapy candidate for Type 1,
insulin-dependent, diabetes patients.
The cell lines were generated using ReNeuron's patented c-mycER stem cell
expansion technology, and can be continuously grown in culture. The cell lines
were pre-screened for both genetic stability and their ability to express the
appropriate phenotypic markers for insulin-producing beta cells, such as the
islet cell transcription factor PDX1 and the functional beta cell receptor
GLP1R.
These results will be presented at the JDRF Center for Beta Cell Therapy in
Diabetes' 2007 Training Course in Bath, UK on 26-28 June. The ReN002 cells are
currently being taken forward into pre-clinical models of diabetes. The Company
believes that its ability to efficiently expand well-characterised ReN002 cells
using its c-mycER technology may offer a solution to the current problem facing
experimental islet cell transplantation - the limited availability of donated
pancreas tissue from which to derive purified islets.
Commenting on the announcement, Dr John Sinden, Chief Scientific Officer of
ReNeuron, said:
'We are excited by these results with our ReN002 programme, not least because
having already demonstrated the ability of our c-mycER stem cell expansion
platform to generate viable cell lines for neurological disorders, these new
data indicate the potential of the technology to work in other significant
disease areas. We now have the basis of a scalable cell therapy approach to
Type 1 diabetes, a major disease target and one in which we believe cell therapy
will play an important role in addressing in the future.'... |
