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Biotech company says placentas offer great stem cell source 8.43 p.m. ET (0143 GMT) April 11, 2001 TRENTON, N.J. — A biotech company said Wednesday it has developed technology for extracting large quantities of stem cells from placentas, offering a rich new source of tissue that could be used to treat a variety of diseases. Stem cells are immature cells that can be coaxed in the laboratory into maturing into specific types of tissue, such as bone, cartilage and muscle. Scientists believe stem cells may be used someday to repair injuries and treat diseases. Anthrogenesis Corp. of Cedar Knolls said its method could prove to be a superior source of these cells. Currently, stem cells used in medical research are taken from bone marrow, the umbilical cords of newborn babies, aborted fetuses or discarded test-tube embryos. But umbilical cords contain only a small number of stem cells. Taking stem cells from bone marrow requires a painful needle extraction, and the donor must be very closely matched to the recipient to prevent rejection. And the use of embryos and fetal tissue is extremely controversial. "Our ability to harvest large quantities of stem cells from a noncontroversial source can have a significant effect, propelling the pace of research forward'' and reducing costs, said John Haines, Anthrogenesis president and chief executive. The placenta, an organ containing many blood vessels, connects the umbilical cord of a fetus with the uterine wall, allowing nutrients to pass from mother to baby. Normally it is discarded after birth. Scientists at Anthrogenesis said they have developed technology to remove all the blood from the placenta, then essentially keep the placenta on life-support by placing it in nutrients under special conditions for up to a few days. They then can extract stem cells from the tissue in quantities roughly 10 times what could be taken from an umbilical cord. Researchers are "having a hard time getting enough of those cells without violating some federal regulation or offending someone,'' said Dr. Robert Peter Gale, a bone marrow transplant expert at the Center for Advanced Studies in Leukemia in Los Angeles. "If their statements are correct, then I think it is terribly important.'' In addition, scientists believe that placental stem cells can develop into a wider variety of tissue than stem cells from umbilical cords or bone marrow. Placental stem cells are also unlikely to be rejected by the recipient's immune system. So far, Anthrogenesis researchers said, they have been able to coax those stem cells to multiply and develop into nerve, blood, skin and muscle cells. Now they are trying to make bone and cartilage. Much more research is needed, however, according to company officials and other experts. "This is one of the three or four, out of 10 or 12 technologies (under study), that I think are viable soon,'' said James A. Heywood, executive director of the ALS Therapy Development Foundation, which researches treatments for the paralyzing neurodegenerative disorder. Meanwhile, Anthrogenesis is developing collaborations with academic and commercial researchers wanting to test those cells to stop or even reverse damage from neurodegenerative, immune and other disorders. Anthrogenesis has patents pending on its technology and plans to license the right to use the technology and sell stem cells it produces to other researchers. In several months, the ALS foundation will begin studying potential treatments using stem cells from Anthrogenesis. On Tuesday, researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles and the University of Pittsburgh said they have isolated stem cells from another potentially rich source: ordinary fat removed by liposuction. The researchers then grew the cells into bone, cartilage, muscle and fat. Scientist believe stem cells could revolutionize medicine, offering a renewable source of replacement cells to treat Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, spinal cord injuries, burns, heart disease, arthritis and other illnesses. http://www.foxmarketwire.com/wires/0411/f_ap_0411_62.sml ****** ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn