Biotech small-cap International Stem Cell Corp. uses unfertilized eggs to develop therapies to treat diseases of the brain, liver, and the eye. By using unfertilized eggs to create human pluripotent stem cells, the company’s core technology avoids the controversial use of viable human embryos.
As noted above, the company is focused on three key markets:
The company is in pre-clinical stages for its treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases, effecting 4 percent of the population over the age of 50. The company says the origin of the disease and its relative localization in the brain makes this an attractive target for stem cell therapy.
Chronic liver disease, including hepatitis C, is the third most common cause of death due to chronic diseases in persons 35 to 64 years old. The company is in pre-clinical stage for its treatment of liver disease with stem-cell derived hepatocytes, a cell that makes up 70-85 percent of the liver’s cytoplasmic mass.
The company notes a large unmet medical need for the treatment of blindness with corneal tissue. Approximately 10 million people in the world are blind because of damage to their cornea. ISCO is in pre-clinical stage to produce cornea tissue implants. The company has developed and filed patents on a process that creates human corneal tissue from parthenogenetic stem cells, closely resembling a human cornea in structure and cell types.
As of April 13, 2012, the company had 90 pending patent applications across eight patent families, and three pending patents related to its skin care products. ISCO also has licensed a portfolio of 128 international patents or patent applications across 30 patent families.
For more information, visit www.internationalstemcell.com
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