NeoStem and the Schepens Eye Research Institute to Study NeoStem's VSEL™ Technology in Retinal Diseases

NEW YORK, Aug. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- NeoStem, Inc. (NYSE Amex: NBS) ("NeoStem" or the "Company"), an international biopharmaceutical company with operations in the U.S. and China, announced today that it has entered into a sponsored research agreement (SRA) with the Schepens Eye Research Institute, a charitable corporation of Massachusetts and an affiliate of Harvard Medical School.  NeoStem will collaborate with the Schepens Institute and sponsor research in the laboratories of principal investigators Drs. Michael Young, Ph.D., Director of the Institute's Minda de Gunzburg Center for Ocular Regeneration, and Kameran Lashkari, M.D.  The focus of the research will be on the development of therapies for both age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and Glaucoma.

Retinal degenerative diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and Glaucoma are currently the leading cause of incurable blindness in the western world.  1.8 million Americans suffer from vision loss due to AMD and an additional 7 million people are at substantial risk of suffering vision loss from AMD.  By 2013, some experts agree that the cost domestically relating to AMD will be nearly $2.3 billion.  Currently, 4 million Americans suffer from Glaucoma at a total cost of approximately $1.5 billion dollars domestically.

The research will examine in animal models the regenerative potential of NeoStem's VSEL™ Technology in the visual system through the engraftment of very small embryonic-like stem cells.  Very small embryonic-like stem cells are a heterogeneous population of stem cells found in adult bone marrow that have properties similar to those of embryonic stem cells. NeoStem has shown that very small embryonic-like stem cells can be mobilized into the peripheral blood, enabling a minimally invasive means for collecting what NeoStem believes to be an important population of stem cells that may have the potential to achieve the positive benefits associated with embryonic stem cells without the ethical or moral dilemmas or the potential negative effects associated with embryonic stem cells.  

"Our research team is looking forward to leveraging our adult stem cell expertise to advance the understanding and development of very small embryonic like stem cells for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration and Glaucoma through our collaboration with the Schepens Institute," said Robin Smith, M.D., Chairman and CEO of NeoStem. "We are excited to gain access to the expertise in ocular regeneration offered by Drs. Michael Young, Kameran Lashkari and the Schepens Institute through this important project."

"We are enthusiastic about working with NeoStem to explore the regenerative potential of their human VSEL Technology," said Dr. Michael Young, one of the principal investigators in the study. "Our goal in this project is to gain a better understanding of the plasticity of stem cells from different compartments of the body, and the very small embryonic-like stem cells from NeoStem represent an exciting new source of cells with potential to repair the diseased central nervous system, including the retina."

About NeoStem, Inc.

NeoStem, Inc. is engaged in the development of stem cell-based therapies, pursuit of anti-aging initiatives and building of a network of adult stem cell collection centers in the U.S. and China that are focused on enabling people to donate and store their own (autologous) stem cells for their personal use in times of future medical need. The Company is also the licensee of various stem cell technologies, including a worldwide exclusive license to VSEL(TM) Technology which uses very small embryonic-like stem cells, shown to have several physical characteristics that are generally found in embryonic stem cells, and is pursuing the licensing of other technologies for therapeutic use. NeoStem's majority-controlled Chinese pharmaceutical operation, Suzhou Erye, manufactures and distributes generic antibiotics in China. For more information, please visit: http://www.neostem.com .

About Schepens Eye Research Institute

Schepens Eye Research Institute fights blindness by developing new technologies, therapies and knowledge to preserve and restore vision.  Through a continuum of discovery, the Institute works toward a future in which blindness is prevented, alleviated, and ultimately cured.  Founded in 1950 by famed retinal surgeon Charles L. Schepens, M.D., Schepens is a non-profit basic research institute and one of the largest eye research institutes in the US.  Schepens is an affiliate of Harvard Medical School and has trained more than 600 postdoctoral fellows and over 500 eye surgeons who now practice around the world.  The institute has published more than 4,600 scientific papers and books about eye health and disease.  For more information about Schepens research please visit their website at : http://www.schepens.harvard.edu.  

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements reflect management's current expectations, as of the date of this press release, and involve certain risks and uncertainties. Forward looking statements include the future of VSEL(TM) Technology and adult stem cells as a viable treatment option, about which no assurances can be given. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Factors that could cause future results to materially differ from the recent results or those projected in forward-looking statements include the "Risk Factors" described in the Company's prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 28, 2010 under Rule 424(b)(5), as well as other periodic filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company's further development is highly dependent on future medical and research developments and market acceptance, which is outside its control.

SOURCE NeoStem, Inc.