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Biomed firm commercialises stem-cell sales

A U.S. biomedical company said Thursday it reached an agreement to commercialise the distribution of neural stem cells by the billions.
'We`re going to be able to distribute a cell that has the ability to produce all the different cell types in the nervous system,' Aruna Biomedical Inc. Chief Executive Steven Stice told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Stice developed neural progenitor cell technology at the University of Georgia, where he is also a professor and director of its Regenerative Bioscience Center.

His arrangement with the university`s research foundation calls for Aruna to market the cells, with the university getting a cut.

'We are offering a product that may accelerate the pace of neurological research for tens of thousands of scientists,' he said, 'and thereby may provide patients with possible therapies and treatments for debilitating neurological diseases and spinal cord injuries much sooner than imagined.'

Aruna anticipates launching human neural progenitor cells in a few months and other advances soon afterward.

Source: United Press International Copyright 2007 by United Press International (26/01/07)

Thanks for the post Ian, it's good news.

Anything that speeds up the potential repair possibilities gets the thumbs up from me!!

Jaded

Calm down guys
Recently my neurologist was still telling me that stem cells had not proven any effect on human.
Still more recently I heard on a scientific radio program that you could not compare the cordal spine of a mouse with a human's. Therefore even if some researches have been effective on mice, this will still take a while before it was effective on us.
But be happy they are plenty of already effective drugs like Tysabri or coming soon like FTY720.
So carpe diem , instead of carpe very far future

I can't believe I'm in a forum discussion with Superman, I'm so excited...anyway, back to business. No doubt stem cells are not something that will be used outside of clinical trials for a few years yet. However, they seem to be making good progress, and there is a push on to start a phase I/II trial of stem cells in Europe. See here:

http://www.charcot-ms.eu/dbimg/ECF%20sy ... al%203.pdf