Vet-Stem Announces Office of Naval Research Contract

POWAY, Calif., March 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Vet-Stem, Inc. is pleased to announce that the U.S. Navy, Office of Naval Research, has awarded a contract to Vet-Stem to engage in a collaborative study of stem cell biology in marine mammals. The contract was awarded on August 3, 2009. The company will apply its considerable expertise in isolating and working with adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) from animals, including horses, dogs, cats and more exotic species.

(Logo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060425/VETSTEMLOGO)

Vet-Stem is optimistic that its studies in marine mammals will parallel the successful outcomes found in Vet-Stem's studies on the therapeutic benefit of ASC treatment in dogs, including a multi-center clinical trial, published in Veterinary Therapeutics, Fall 2008, in which it was demonstrated that dogs treated with stem cell therapy showed statistically significant improvement in lameness, pain and range of motion for elbow injuries. The results from this study expand on one published in 2007, which explored the effectiveness of Vet-Stem's therapy for hip-related osteoarthritis.  The outcome showed that stem cells do improve healing in injured or arthritic dogs' hips. The findings stated that in a blinded, placebo-controlled, clinical trial lameness, pain and range of motion in dogs improved significantly after being treated by stem cell therapy.

The contract will cover research to be conducted at Vet-Stem's facility in Poway, California, on ASCs in marine mammals. Vet-Stem currently is engaged in a preliminary evaluation of ASCs from marine mammals and has demonstrated that marine mammal adipose-derived cells can be grown in culture conditions similar to ASCs from other mammals, like horses and dogs.

The new contract will broaden the scope of the current study to include best practices for isolation and culture of marine mammal ASCs and qualification of immunological reagents and molecular probes for use in characterizing the isolated cells. The contract also includes an analysis of the effectiveness of using ASC therapy in treating marine mammal injuries.  The research the U.S. Navy is funding with Vet-Stem does not cause harm to the subject animals.

About Vet-Stem, Inc.

Vet-Stem, Inc. was formed in 2002 to bring regenerative medicine to the veterinary profession. In January of 2004, Vet-Stem introduced the first veterinary stem cell service in the United States. The privately held company is working to develop therapies in veterinary medicine that apply regenerative technologies while utilizing the natural healing properties inherent in all animals.

For more information log on to www.vet-stem.com or call 858-748-2004.

SOURCE Vet-Stem, Inc.