Asia PR News

BRISBANE, May 30/MediaNet International-AsiaNet/ –

Brisbane-based biotechnology company Tissue Therapies Limited (ASX: TIS) has
potentially overcome a major hurdle in the race to use human embryonic stem
cells for medical treatment with the discovery that its VitroGro® technology
can be used to replace animal or human serum in the culture of human embryonic
stem cells

Research conducted at Queensland University of Technology’s Institute of
Health and Biomedical Innovations showed that human embryonic stem cells can be
successfully grown using Tissue Therapies’ VitroGro®, eliminating the need to
use human or animal serum to culture cells.

Tissue Therapies CEO Dr Steven Mercer said the breakthrough finding
potentially removed one of the most significant obstacles to approved use of
stem cell therapies.

Dr Mercer said the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and
Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) had been extremely concerned
that the use of animal- or human-derived serum to grow human embryonic stem
cells could result in the transmission of infections to humans treated with
these cells.

“Until now, there have been no alternatives to serum for the growth of human
embryonic stem cells, and this has been a major impediment to the ultimate
approval of stem cell therapies for human treatment,” Dr Mercer said.

“The QUT research proves that the presence of Tissue Therapies’ VitroGro®
allows human embryonic stem cells to be grown through more than 20 generations
without serum, with no impact on the integrity of the cells,” he said.

The research was conducted by doctoral candidate Sean Richards, under the
leadership of Professor Zee Upton, who is also Tissue Therapies’ Chief
Scientist.

“This is a unique and exciting scientific discovery with huge implications
for the scientific, medical research, and therapeutic uses of human embryonic
stem cells,” Professor Upton said.

Dr Mercer said the discovery had significant potential to accelerate the
practical application of human stem cell therapies to develop cures for a wide
range of devastating diseases.

“The eradication of animal or human serum from the stem cell culture process
removes one of the most serious and difficult heath regulatory objections to
the use of stem cell therapies in humans,” he said.

“Tissue Therapies is currently in negotiations with a number of large
international companies who supply cell culture products or use various types
of human stem cells.”

“We will be working with them to translate this into practical clinical
outcomes for patients, as well as commercial returns for Tissue Therapies
shareholders.”

“This research validates and demonstrates the versatility and power of the
VitroGro® technology,” Dr Mercer said.

“We expect to confirm additional clinical applications of the VitroGro®
technology over the next 12 months.”

ENDS

Further information:
Dr Steven Mercer,
CEO,
Tissue Therapies Limited
Telephone: +61-7-3221-0140
Mobile: +61-417-483834
Email: s.mercer@tissuetherapies.com

About Tissue Therapies Limited

Tissue Therapies Limited is an Australian company developing biomedical
technologies for wound healing, tissue and various cell culture applications.

The Company has worldwide exclusive rights to commercialise VitroGro®, a
platform technology developed by tissue engineering experts at the Institute
for Health and Biomedical Innovation at QUT for enhancing cell growth and
migration. VitroGro® has particular commercial applications in wound healing,
tissue regeneration, stem cell therapies and other cell culture uses.

Based on its VitroGro® platform technology, Tissue Therapies is developing
more effective medical treatments for wounds and burns, integration of
orthopaedic and medical implants, and other applications such as
cosmeceuticals.

Tissue Therapies also provides cell culture reagents to enhance the growth
of mammalian cells for emerging cell-based therapies, along with research and
industrial cell culture markets internationally.

More information: www.tissuetherapies.com

Source:Tissue Therapies Limited