Vistagen Therapeutics Announces Publications Supporting the Use of Embryonic Stem Cells

VistaGen Therapeutics, Inc. has announced three recent publications highlighting important advances in the understanding of how embryonic stem cells can be reproducibly differentiated into heart and liver cells.

According to VistaGen, these advances are a result of the research efforts directed by Dr. Gordon Keller, a highly regarded international stem cell scientist, Director of the McEwen Center for Regenerative Medicine in Toronto and Chairman of VistaGen’s Scientific Advisory Board.

VistaGen has an exclusive license to these stem cell technologies for all pharmaceutical drug discovery and screening applications.

In the three recent publications in Nature Biotechnology, Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences, and Developmental Cell, Dr. Keller’s laboratory announced advancements in the understanding of how to induce and control the differentiation of embryonic stem cells into important immature endoderm cells that ultimately go on to form the internal organs of the body, especially the liver and heart.

These publications can also expand the understanding of the culture conditions necessary to generate large populations of cells which have functional properties of liver and heart cells.

"My team’s efforts represent important building blocks we need to begin to develop new tools for multiple medical applications of ES cells, including drug discovery and screening for the treatment of diseases of the cardiovascular system and liver," said Dr. Keller.

Dr. Ralph Snodgrass, VistaGen’s President and CEO, added, "We are very encouraged by the advancements made by Dr. Keller's research, and are excited to work in concert with him to develop reproducible and powerful biological systems that will open new approaches in the field of predictive toxicology assays involving the two most important target organs, the heart and liver, as well as new opportunities for drug discovery, especially in diabetes."