StemCells says its neural stem cells can prevent vision loss in lab rats

StemCells (Nasdaq:STEM), the Palo Alot biotech company, said Thursday that preclinical results for its product candidate HuCNS-SC, derived from human neural stem cells, were able to protect the retina from progressive degeneration when transplanted into lab rats.

“The HuCNS-SC cell has proven to have very robust survival, preserving vision in our rat model at time points beyond six months,” said Raymond Lund, a researcher and professor at the Casey Eye Institute at Oregon Health & Science University. “These data are very encouraging and suggest cell-based therapies for retinal degeneration can be a viable treatment approach.”

Shares of StemCells rose as much as 22 cents, or 22 percent, in Thursday trading after its news was released.

Bay Area News Group blog editor (1223 Posts)