San Diego, CA / February 20, 2008 – Novocell, Inc., a stem cell engineering company, today announced data demonstrating for the first time that human embryonic stem (hES) cells can be turned into pancreatic cells capable of producing insulin in mice. The findings are reported in an article appearing on-line today, in advance of print publication, in the journal Nature Biotechnology. This research provides evidence supporting the potential future use of hES cells to replace insulin-producing pancreatic cells that are destroyed in people with Type 1 diabetes, requiring them to receive regular insulin treatment.
The findings build on two previously reported studies by Novocell (Nature Biotechnology 2005 and 2006), whereby Novocell scientists demonstrated a process that successfully engineers hES cells into specific cells necessary for pancreas formation, and endocrine cells capable of producing insulin and other pancreatic hormones.
In this new work, Novocell has demonstrated that implantation of hES-derived
pancreatic cells into mice results in the generation of glucose-responsive
insulin producing cells. These cells exhibit properties characteristic
of functional adult pancreatic insulin producing cells in the pancreas.
Most importantly, these hES-derived cells provide protection in an animal
model of diabetes characterized by loss of pancreatic insulin producing
cells.
”Our data provide the first compelling evidence that hES cells can serve
as a renewable source of functional insulin producing cells for diabetes
cell replacement therapies,” said Emmanuel Baetge, Ph.D., Chief Scientific
Officer of Novocell and senior author of the publication. “It also provides
strong evidence that hES cell-derived endoderm cells are able to generate
glucose-responsive insulin secreting cells that are functionally similar
to adult human beta cells.”
Current cellular therapy for diabetes is performed by transplanting donor-derived
human islets combined with chronic immunosuppression. While this has been
demonstrated to be an effective therapy, the limited availability of donated
pancreatic islets and the adverse side effects of long-term immunosuppression
make this replacement therapy unsuitable for the general diabetes population.
Together with its stem cell engineering technology for insulin-producing
cells, Novocell has also developed a delivery process by which such cells
might be delivered to patients without the need for chronic immunosuppression.
Novocell’s encapsulation technology provides a protective, coating for
cells, thus allowing them to be more readily accepted in the body without
the chronic use of immunosuppressive drugs. This encapsulation technology
has been successfully tested in human clinical trials using human islets
isolated from donor organs.
“By developing proprietary processes to successfully generate insulin-producing
cells from hES cells in vivo and protecting these cells from immune system
rejection, we have created a potential treatment option that could lead
to the first widespread application of cell replacement therapy for the
treatment of diabetes,” said Alan J. Lewis, Ph.D., President and Chief
Executive Officer of Novocell. “We look forward to the continued advancement
of these technologies that hold such promise for transforming the treatment
of diabetes.”
About Diabetes
Type 1, or insulin-dependent diabetes occurs when the pancreas ceases
to produce insulin due to an autoimmune response that causes the selective
destruction of insulin producing cells. People with Type 1 diabetes must
take daily insulin and are candidates for pancreatic islet cell transplantation,
which provides the potential to treat the disease. The disease is most
common in children and young adults, accounting for approximately 10 percent
of diabetes cases. The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation estimates
that more than 1.1 million people suffer from Type 1 diabetes in the United
States alone. Additionally, approximately 30 percent of people with Type
2 diabetes require insulin therapy and could potentially benefit from
islet cell transplantation
About Novocell
Novocell, Inc. is a stem cell engineering company with research operations
in San Diego, California and Athens, Georgia, dedicated to creating, delivering
and commercializing cell and drug therapies for diabetes and other chronic
diseases. Novocell has three primary technologies: stem cell engineering,
cell encapsulation and drug discovery. The Company was founded in 1999
and merged with CyThera, Inc. and BresaGen, Inc. in 2004. For more information,
please visit www.novocell.com