StemCell Therapy

The implementation of this platform enables rapid study set-up, automated CRF generation and better study recruitment and communication tools for general and special populations. Mobile workstations allow for rapid data entry and data is captured directly using bar codes and interfaces to medical equipment, such as blood pressure monitors. The Initiator platform also interfaces with the Company’s LIMS, as well as its diagnostic laboratory software and investigational drug management system.

Detailed PR available at PharmNet website

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=234619&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1506686&highlight=

Sanofi-Aventis and Oxford University have entered into an agreement with INDOX, an academic oncology network to conduct oncology clinical and translation research in India.

The company said that through this partnership, Sanofi-Aventis will have access to experience and expertise of India’s top oncologists which will help the company in conducting clinical research. “The collaboration between sanofi-aventis, Oxford University and the Indian Cancer Centers fosters a model for academic researchers and industry to work together for the benefit of patients,” said Debasish Roychowdhury, MD, Senior Vice President, Head of Oncology, sanofi-aventis.

Sanofi-Aventis said that the company will provide financial assistance to Oxford University to manage INDOX’s eigh cancer reseach centres in India. The university, on its part, will provide training and support to investigators and reseach coordinators to help in carrying out the research.

INDOX is a partnership between Oxford University and India’s top eight cancer research centres in India.

Vicki Phelan, Managing Director, Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Practice
with Stan Lepeak, Managing Director, Global Research

Trends in the life sciences and pharma research and development  outsourcing (RDO)

The complete report is available at http://goo.gl/MgVBu

Oracle Siebel CRM is the base application behind Oracle’s Siebel CTMS.

Prepackaged OBIEE Applications does not have a module for Clinical Analytics and so there is a need to develop a complete custom OBI application in order to accomplish the requirements. This was untill Oracle has introduced Oracle Clinical Development Analytics (CDA) which is based on OBIEE+

Oracle CDA includes prebuilt data models, prebuilt Extract-Transform-Load programs sourcing from Oracle Clinical / Remote Data Capture and Oracle’s Siebel Clinical Trial Management System

Business Intelligence can be deployed in several Core functions

• Protocol Design and Study Start-Up
• Patient and Investigator Recruitment
• Clinical Trial Management
• Clinical Data Management
• Data Analysis
• Clinical Supplies
• Regulatory and Safety

Nonclinical Use of  Business Intelligence in Clinical Trial
There are a number of ways in which business intelligence as a technology platform can be used to support the pharmaceutical value chain. There is ample evidence to show how business intelligence has been used successfully in a number of areas including:

• Sales and Marketing
• Manufacturing
• Finance
• Human Resources
• Information Services
• Executive and Portfolio Management

Clinical Use  of  Business Intelligence in Clinical Trial
Within clinical research, the strongest use of technology is in pre-clinical research, clinical, statistical programming and supporting other groups such as:

• Data management (patient profiles)
• Medical writing
• Finance
• Project management
• Patient registries and post-marketing surveillance

Without CDA an OBIEE architect needs to understand CRM data model and also the actual business process flow of a CTMS application.It is observed that usually there is a customization to an extent of 25% on the CRM application.

Original Old Article on OBIEE for CTMS which was the only Business Intelligence solutions for Clinical trial management before Oracle announced CDA is Available at http://www.obieetalk.com

Requirements gathering sessions must be interactive with group of SME’s, Team of members from business, project sponsors to mitigate any risk of
slipping the time lines. It is recommended to plan for regular client reviews and approvals of every build to avoid any gaps in the expectations by the client .

At a high level the reporting requirements may include tracking budget and finance, clinical trials, activities, investigators,Initiations, enrollments, expiration’s, terminations. Cross dimensional hierarchies from Program to Protocol to Site to Subject is commonly desired.

Major dimension tables specific to CTMS includes Program, Protocol,Site,Subject, application, Investigator. Other common dimensions include Accounts, Contacts, Activities, Time, Geography,product, etc.

Here is a screen shot of a sample rpd for CTMS

one of the very few interesting article by Microsoft Engineers on Clinical Research Industry. Certainly interesting as it is written by none other than      Les Jordan-CTO, Life Sciences Industry Unit at Microsoft . Microsoft and IBM had much longer and deepr association with Lifescience/Healthcare/Bioinformatics industry than Oracle.

But I love to see microsoft grow beyond Sharepoint for Clinical Research and the BioIT alliance. Also love to ask microsoft what is the current status of some of those applications mentioned in the blog by Les, Especially the Microsoft Clinical Trial Initiation solution

Original article from microsoft website

Interesting how weeks become months when you’re writing and updating blogs.  This CTMS project certainly hasn’t gone away, but it did go on a bit of a hiatus while my “day job” intervened.  Enough excuses.  Mea Culpa.  On to the fun!

As we discussed in the previous post, the key to a clinical trials management system is thinking of it in terms of a project – after all, the people who run the clinical trial think of it in terms of a project, and it is measured in project management terms, so why not treat it that way from an architectural point of view?

A second and equally important “requirement” is one that we are increasingly seeing as an industry trend: having EDC (Electronic Data Capture) functionality and CTMS (Clinical Trials Management System) functionality in the same system, or at the very least having EDC and CTMS closely integrate and interoperate.

The clinical trials world of today is fairly fractured.  Think of all the different systems – often standalone systems – that are used by Life Science organizations:

• EDC – Electronic Data Capture
• CTMS – Clinical Trials Management Systems
• CLIP – Clinical Investigator Portals
• Project – Clinical Trials Project Management
• Analysis – OK, it’s SAS, but how do you get the data there?  What about real-time analytics?
• IRB & DSMB – Outside organizations with their own management systems, like a Click Commerce Research Compliance Automation solution?

What if you could have a system that gets close to doing all of that – or at least being able to manage all of it – through one interface?  How much would that save in training costs, integration costs, and implementation costs?

Well – that’s the vision.  Here’s how we pull it off:

1. Start with Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 and SQL Server 2008 as the foundation to build upon.
2. As discussed in the last post, we’ll use Microsoft Office Project Server as a way to organize the information and provide us with a trial specific taxonomy, along with roll-up of reporting metrics.
3. To cover the EDC aspects, we’ll utilize Microsoft Office Forms Server 2007 – which is a web facing InfoPath solution – to handle data entry and front-ending the workflow for data checks, etc.

EDC forms in Forms Server can even handle digital signatures (with compliance and security being the subject of a future post) inside the InfoPath forms.  This has implications for those organizations that are involved with SAFE BioPharma (worth checking out).

The beauty of all of this is that it is all Web Service enabled, which means that you have easier integration mechanisms with existing analysis and EDC systems:

• SAS – With integration with .NET, SOAP, and Web Services.
• Medidata – We’ve demonstrated use of their Web Services API module that utilizes CDISC.
• Perceptive Informatics – At the DIA annual meeting a couple years ago, we did a demonstration using DataLabs (now Perceptive) and InfoPath integration, using Web Services and about 5 lines of code!
• EHR/EMR Integration – While it is still on the horizon, I think it is getting closer.  Check it out.

Resources to get you started:

• Configuring SharePoint for 21 CFR Part 11 Compliance
• Project Server and Office SharePoint Server 2007 Integration
• Project Server Architecture and Programmability
• InfoPath Forms Server Form Template Authoring
• Microsoft Clinical Trial Initiation solution

Finally – there are other organizations and software vendors that are thinking along these lines.  Check out the following solutions:

• A solution in place in the US Department of Veteran Affairs
• TENALEA – Trans European Network for Clinical Trials Services
• Transenda – An Office & Project based CTMS system
• StreamLogic – A Project Based CTMS system

Next up in this series:

• Using MOSS templates for maintaining Part 11 compliance
• Extranets & Identity Management
• Architecture Diagrams & Screen shots
• Validation and compliance

I had posted last month about the Pegasystem pharmacovigilance solution.

Pega Systems the industry leader in Business Process Management (BPM) software solutions, released a Pharmacovigilance case processing software.

Pega has experience in clinical trial space, specifically in Clinical Trial Management. The solution is designed for rapid deployment to quickly leverage existing adverse event processing rules and requirements and can produce specialized documentation to help ensure compliance in a validated environment.

I have not come across any new updates after that. But apparently Accenture  has acquired Knowledge Rules, Inc., a Philadelphia-based consulting company that focuses exclusively on implementing and integrating business solutions using Pegasystems’ Business Process Management (BPM) software.

Accenture has a very large Pharmacovigilance division serving several large pharmaceutical companies. It would not be very suprising if Accenture roles out the BPM software for their pharmacovigilance services.

I think that is a possibility because Accenture  has announced plans to use the applications for all its Fortune 500 customers.

I would predict that United Health Group could be one of those customers as they are an existing customer of Pega.

Speaking of which Pega sounds like an attractive target Oracle can acquire

Neural Tumor-Initiating Cells Have Distinct Telomere Maintenance and Can be Safely Targeted for Telomerase Inhibition by Pedro Castelo-Branco and 12 co-authors, including Uri Tabori, Clin Cancer Res 2011(Jan 1); 17(1): 111-121 [Full text]. Translational Relevance:

Pediatric neural tumors (brain tumors and neuroblastoma) are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in childhood cancer. This is due to their ability to recur after minimal disease is achieved. Telomerase is active in most malignant pediatric neural tumors. Therefore, telomerase inhibition may offer an effective treatment option for such patients. Because normal stem cells may require telomerase for continuous self-renewal, this therapy may have devastating effects on normal nervous system development and maintenance.

This study reveals that telomerase activation exists only in the tumor-initiating cancer subpopulation and is critical to sustain their survival and self-renewal potential. Importantly, normal neural or neural crest stem cells do not require telomerase for their self-renewal. Furthermore, as opposed to conventional chemoradiation therapies, telomerase inhibition results in irreversible loss of self-renewal capacity of tumor initiating cells in vitro and in vivo.

These observations uncover a difference between normal and cancer stem cell biology in the nervous system and suggest that telomerase inhibition may offer a specific and safe therapeutic approach for these devastating tumors.

For a commentary on this article, see: Anita B Hjelmeland and Jeremy N Rich, Clin Cancer Res 2011(Jan 1); 17(1): 3-5 (unlike the article, the commentary is not publicly accessible). Abstract:

Telomerase is an important mechanism by which cancers escape replicative senescence. In neural tumors, cancer stem cells express telomerase, suggesting that this may explain their preferential tumorigenesis. Oligonucleotide telomerase targeting selectively disrupts cancer stem cell growth through the induction of differentiation, adding to the armamentarium of anticancer stem cell therapies.

The Cancer Stem Cell Consortium (CSCC) has announced the launch of two new initiatives for 2011-2012. Information about these initiatives is available via the websites of the CSCC and Genome Canada.

The two initiatives are:

1. C4Resource: The Canada-California Collaborative Cancer Stem Cell Resource and Technology Platform Network or C4Resource, which would coordinate cancer stem cell research resources and platform technologies more efficiently and effectively to advance research and discovery and accelerate clinical translation of new findings; and,

2. Partnership with CIRM: A second funding partnership with the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) through the CIRM's Disease Team Therapy Development Research Awards.

Information about the CIRM Disease Team Therapy Development Research Award RFA is available at: http://www.cirm.ca.gov/RFA_10-05

International Stem Cell Corporation (OTCBB:ISCO), http://www.internationalstemcell.com, applauds a recent announcement by researchers at Nationwide Children's Hospital showing the use of parthenogenetic stem cells as a potential strategy to treat genetic diseases such as Huntington's disease, beta thalassemia or tuberous sclerosis.

In a scientific paper entitled, "Gene therapy by allele selection in a mouse model of beta-thalassemia" recently published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, a team of researchers from the Center for Molecular and Human Genetics (NationwideChildren's Hospital, Columbus, OH), the University of Pennsylvania, the University of North Carolina and the University of Minnesota led by John McLaughlin Ph.D., describe how they used a mouse model of an inherited blood disorder to show that parthenogenesis could be used to create "genetically clean" stem cells. These parthenogenetic stem cells demonstrated the ability to correct certain symptoms of such a disease.

Dr. Andrey Semechkin, CEO of ISCO, commented, "We at ISCO are particularly pleased to note this animal model research into the potential of parthenogenetic stem cells since ISCO has created method for creating immortal human parthenogenetic stem cell (hpSC) lines. We are constantly seeking ways to use such technology to treat human diseases, and this announcement is a positive indication showing the potential of parthenogenetic stem cells to treat certain types of autosomal dominant diseases such as particular forms of beta thalassemia or even Huntington's disease. We expect that the transition from animal models to human therapy using parthenogenetic cells will continue to evolve as ISCO continues to conduct its own therapeutic research and to collaborate with researchers across the world to discover new ways to use parthenogenesis and parthenogenetic stem cells to cure human disease. We have great hope that animal research such as that just reported will open new doors to human therapy and look forward to making our human parthenogentic lines available for such therapies."

ISCO created and patented the first proven technology to create human parthenogenetic stem cell lines from unfertilized human eggs. This technology has similar potential advantages as those described in the work done at Nationwide Children's Hospital; i.e., the creation of human parthenogenetic stem cells that could eliminate a defective copy of a gene and can be immune-matched to the egg donor. ISCO's technology has the additional ethical advantage of not harming a viable human embryo.

Dr Semechkin continues, "ISCO is actively conducting research on the creation and application of differentiated derivatives of hpSC for therapeutic use. Specifically, ISCO has initiated a number of pre-clinical animal studies utilizing both hepatocytes and separately retina pigment epithelium cells, derived from hpSC. ISCO's scientists were also the first to demonstrate the ability of hpSC to differentiate into neural cells and to develop approaches to obtain stable lines of parthenogenetic neural cells. These achievements open up the opportunity to assess the efficacy and safety of using parthenogenetic stem cells as a source to create neural cells for the treatment of diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and other neurodegenerative disorders. The work presented by Dr. McLaughlin once again confirms ISCO's unique position in the field of stem cell based therapies."

The work done by Dr. McLaughlin can be found at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/45377?search%5Barticle_text%5D=&search%5Bauthors_text%5D=mclaughlin.

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL STEM CELL CORPORATION (ISCO.OB):

International Stem Cell Corporation is a California-based biotechnology company focused on the therapeutic applications of human parthenogenetic stem cells and the development and commercialization of cell-based research and cosmetic products. ISCO's core technology, parthenogenesis, results in creation of pluripotent human stem cells from unfertilized oocytes (eggs). hpSCs avoid ethical issues associated with the use or destruction of viable human embryos. ISCO scientists have created the first parthenogenic, homozygous stem cell line that can be a source of therapeutic cells with minimal immune rejection after transplantation into hundreds of millions of individuals of differing sexes, ages and racial groups. This offers the potential to create the first true stem cell bank, UniStemCell™, while avoiding the ethical issue of using fertilized eggs. ISCO also produces and markets specialized cells and growth media for therapeutic research worldwide through its subsidiary Lifeline Cell Technology and cell-based skin care products through its subsidiary Lifeline Skin Care. More information is available at ISCO's website, http://www.internationalstemcell.com.

To subscribe to receive ongoing corporate communications please click on the following link: http://www.b2i.us/irpass.asp?BzID=1468&to=ea&s=0.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Statements pertaining to anticipated technological developments and therapeutic applications, and other opportunities for the company and its subsidiaries, along with other statements about the future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans, or prospects expressed by management constitute forward-looking statements. Any statements that are not historical fact (including, but not limited to statements that contain words such as "will," "believes," "plans," "anticipates," "expects," "estimates,") should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, risks inherent in the development and/or commercialization of potential products, uncertainty in the results of clinical trials or regulatory approvals, need and ability to obtain future capital, application of capital resources among competing uses, and maintenance of intellectual property rights. Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements and as such should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect the company's business, particularly those mentioned in the cautionary statements found in the company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. The company disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Key Words: Stem Cells, Biotechnology, Parthenogenesis

International Stem Cell Corporation
Kenneth C. Aldrich, Chairman
760-940-6383
kaldrich@intlstemcell.com
or
Jeffrey Janus, Senior Vice President
760-940-6383
jjanus@intlstemcell.com

International Stem Cell Corporation (OTCBB:ISCO), http://www.internationalstemcell.com, announced today that its Chairman, Kenneth Aldrich and the CEO of its Lifeline Skin Care subsidiary, Ruslan Semechkin, PhD, will present a Webinar discussion of the State of the Company and its plans for its Skin Care subsidiary on Wednesday, January 19, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. PST. In announcing the event, Mr. Aldrich stressed that its purpose is not to announce any new programs or financial results, but to attempt to provide an overview of events during the past year and offer shareholders a perspective on what to expect in the coming year. The dial-in number for participants is: 1 (800) 588-4973. Please provide the confirmation number 28808144 to the operator upon calling in. An alternate dial-in number is 1 (847) 230-5643. The confirmation number will be the same for both numbers. A replay of the call will be available on the home page of the company's website at:http://www.internationalstemcell.com.

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL STEM CELL CORPORATION (ISCO.OB):

International Stem Cell Corporation is a California-based biotechnology company focused on the therapeutic applications of human parthenogenetic stem cells and the development and commercialization of cell-based research and cosmetic products. ISCO's core technology, parthenogenesis, results in creation of pluripotent human stem cells from unfertilized oocytes (eggs). hpSCs avoid ethical issues associated with the use or destruction of viable human embryos. ISCO scientists have created the first parthenogenic, homozygous stem cell line that can be a source of therapeutic cells with minimal immune rejection after transplantation into hundreds of millions of individuals of differing sexes, ages and racial groups. This offers the potential to create the first true stem cell bank, UniStemCell™, while avoiding the ethical issue of using fertilized eggs. ISCO also produces and markets specialized cells and growth media for therapeutic research worldwide through its subsidiary Lifeline Cell Technology and cell-based skin care products through its subsidiary Lifeline Skin Care. More information is available at ISCO's website, http://www.internationalstemcell.com.

To subscribe to receive ongoing corporate communications please click on the following link: http://www.b2i.us/irpass.asp?BzID=1468&to=ea&s=0.

Key Words: Stem Cells, Biotechnology, Parthenogenesis

International Stem Cell Corporation
Kenneth C. Aldrich, Chairman
760-940-6383
kaldrich@intlstemcell.com
or
Ruslan Semechkin, PhD,
Vice President, ISCO, CEO Lifeline Skin Care
ras@intlstemcell.com

International Stem Cell Corporation (OTCBB:ISCO), http://www.internationalstemcell.com, will lead a free public discussion highlighting the ethical considerations and medical advantages surrounding the derivation of human stem cells from unfertilized human eggs using ISCO's patented technology known as parthenogenesis. The discussion, sponsored by The Center for Ethics in Science and Technology, will take place on Wednesday, January 5^th from 5:30-7:00 pm at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center Community Forum, 1875 El Prado, San Diego, CA. Jeffrey Janus, Senior VP, will be the featured speaker in a program moderated by Michael Kalichman, Ph.D., Director of the Research Ethics Program at UC San Diego and co-founder and director of the Center of Ethics in Science and Technology.

ISCO's patented method of parthenogenesis results in pluripotent human stem cell lines having the positive characteristics of embryonic stem cells without the damage or destruction of a viable human embryo.

In preparation for the discussion, Dr. Kalichman and Mr. Janus will be interviewed on Monday, January 3, on XETV channel 6 at 7:25 am, and on the radio show "These Days" broadcast on KPBS, 89.5 FM at 9:20 am.

Registration for the free event can be made at http://www.ethicscenter.net.

In addition to the ethical advantages of not requiring the destruction of a viable human embryo, parthenogenetic stem cells possess unique qualities allowing them to be immune matched to millions of persons, giving them the potential to be used in many future stem cell based therapeutic applications. ISCO has derived ten parthenogenetic stem cell lines in Russia using Western-style informed consent processes, and is now setting up processes in the United States. However, the ethical and regulatory requirements involved in obtaining unfertilized human eggs in the U.S. present challenges to ISCO and other researchers working in stem cell field. ISCO's hope is to conform to these complicated regulatory and ethical frameworks so clinical-grade human parthenogenetic stem cells may be derived in the U.S. and used to create a bank of parthenogenetic stem cells that may be used by millions of persons of different sexes and racial groups.

According to Dr. Kalichman, "Success in scientific development often depends on both public understanding of science and on understanding by scientists of public concerns. The participation of ISCO in the proposed public forums is praiseworthy as a way to meet both of these goals."

"In addition to the ethical considerations, human parthenogenetic stem cells offer a potentially superior solution to stem-cell based therapies because they allow immune-matching that may alleviate immune rejection problems that are likely to hamper other stem cell therapies. This is especially important when the patients have a genetically-based disease, and cannot use their own stem cells," says Jeffrey Janus. "ISCO is one of the few therapeutic research organizations pursing the utilization of these unique cells because of not only the ethical advantages, but also because of these important medical considerations."

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL STEM CELL CORPORATION (ISCO.OB):

International Stem Cell Corporation is a California-based biotechnology company focused on the therapeutic applications of human parthenogenetic stem cells and the development and commercialization of cell-based research and cosmetic products. ISCO's core technology, parthenogenesis, results in creation of pluripotent human stem cells from unfertilized oocytes (eggs). hpSCs avoid ethical issues associated with the use or destruction of viable human embryos. ISCO scientists have created the first parthenogenic, homozygous stem cell line that can be a source of therapeutic cells with minimal immune rejection after transplantation into hundreds of millions of individuals of differing sexes, ages and racial groups. This offers the potential to create the first true stem cell bank, UniStemCell™, while avoiding the ethical issue of using fertilized eggs. ISCO also produces and markets specialized cells and growth media for therapeutic research worldwide through its subsidiary Lifeline Cell Technology and cell-based skin care products through its subsidiary Lifeline Skin Care. More information is available at ISCO's website, http://www.internationalstemcell.com.

To subscribe to receive ongoing corporate communications please click on the following link: http://www.b2i.us/irpass.asp?BzID=1468&to=ea&s=0.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Statements pertaining to anticipated technological developments and therapeutic applications, and other opportunities for the company and its subsidiaries, along with other statements about the future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans, or prospects expressed by management constitute forward-looking statements. Any statements that are not historical fact (including, but not limited to statements that contain words such as "will," "believes," "plans," "anticipates," "expects," "estimates,") should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, risks inherent in the development and/or commercialization of potential products, uncertainty in the results of clinical trials or regulatory approvals, need and ability to obtain future capital, application of capital resources among competing uses, and maintenance of intellectual property rights. Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements and as such should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect the company's business, particularly those mentioned in the cautionary statements found in the company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. The company disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Key Words: Stem Cells, Biotechnology, Parthenogenesis

International Stem Cell Corporation
Kenneth C. Aldrich, Chairman
760-940-6383
kaldrich@intlstemcell.com
or
Jeffrey Janus, Senior Vice President
760-940-6383
jjanus@intlstemcell.com

OCEANSIDE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--International Stem Cell Corporation (OTCBB:ISCO),http://www.internationalstemcell.com, announced today that it had launched the first phase of its previously announced joint marketing campaign with John Mauldin, the founder and Chairman of Millennium Wave Investments, to market Lifeline Skin Care’s (LSC) new topical skin care products to more than one million of Mauldin’s subscribers. This launch follows ISCO’s earlier successful release to its own investor base and to the general public through its website,http://www.lifelineskincare.com.

“Having seen a strong demand from our investors and followers, we have been working diligently to increase both our marketing and production capabilities. John Mauldin’s participation will support the continuation of our rapid progress”

Mauldin, a best-selling writer, author of a monthly investment newsletter, and recognized marketing expert, provides LSC with the skills and a platform to enable LSC to continue expanding its sales while keeping marketing cost per customer lower than would be possible with a traditional media campaign.

Lifeline Skin Care’s exclusive patent pending skin rejuvenation serums contain extracts from ISCO’s proprietary “parthenogenetic” stem cells created from unfertilized eggs. The stem cell extract was discovered during ISCO’s therapeutic research that revealed the extract’s potential applications in skin cell rejuvenation. Independent third party testing indicates that both the day and the night serums now being offered have significant positive effects on the look and feel of the skin.

“Having seen a strong demand from our investors and followers, we have been working diligently to increase both our marketing and production capabilities. John Mauldin’s participation will support the continuation of our rapid progress,” says Dr. Ruslan Semechkin, CEO of Lifeline Skin Care.

John Mauldin adds, “I’m pleased to be involved with LSC and to help these truly revolutionary skin care products reach a broader audience. This new collaboration gives me the ability to offer these unique LSC products to my loyal client base.”

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL STEM CELL CORPORATION (ISCO.OB)

International Stem Cell Corporation is a California-based biotechnology company focused on therapeutic and research products. ISCO's core technology, parthenogenesis, results in creation of pluripotent human stem cells from unfertilized oocytes (eggs). These proprietary cells avoid ethical issues associated with use or destruction of viable human embryos and, unlike most other major stem cell types, can be immune matched and be a source of therapeutic cells with minimal rejection after transplantation into hundreds of millions of individuals of differing racial groups. ISCO also produces and markets specialized cells and growth media for therapeutic research worldwide through its subsidiary, Lifeline Cell Technology, and has developed and is now marketing a line of skin care products via its subsidiary, Lifeline Skin Care. ISCO is advancing novel human stem cell-based therapies where cells have been proven to be efficacious but traditional small molecule and protein therapeutics have not. More information is available on ISCO's website,http://www.internationalstemcell.com.

To subscribe to receive ongoing corporate communications please click on the following link: http://www.b2i.us/irpass.asp?BzID=1468&to=ea&s=0.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Statements pertaining to anticipated developments, product introduction plans and related support, the potential benefits of planned products, anticipated sales growth for recently introduced products, and other opportunities for the company and its subsidiaries, along with other statements about the future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans, or prospects expressed by management constitute forward-looking statements. Any statements that are not historical fact (including, but not limited to statements that contain words such as "will," "believes," "plans," "anticipates," "expects," "estimates,") should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, risks inherent in the development and/or commercialization of potential products and the management of collaborations, regulatory approvals, need and ability to obtain future capital, application of capital resources among competing uses, and maintenance of intellectual property rights. Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements and as such should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect the company's business, particularly those mentioned in the cautionary statements found in the company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. The company disclaims any intent or obligation to update forward-looking statements.

Key Words: Stem cells, parthenogenesis, biotechnology, skin care, anti-aging

International Stem Cell Corporation (OTCBB:ISCO),http://www.internationalstemcell.com, announced today that it had entered into an agreement with Aspire Capital Fund, LLC, to provide, at the Company's sole option, up to $25 million of equity capital over the next three years. As part of this transaction, Aspire purchased, upon execution of the agreement, 333,333 shares of ISCO Common Stock at a price of $1.50 per share, a 7% premium over Friday's closing price of $1.40 per share.

Pricing of future sales under the agreement will be determined each time the Company elects to sell shares to Aspire by a formula that is based on the actual sale prices of the Company's stock over the 12 days preceding each sale to Aspire. Thus, the Company will control the timing and amount of any sales of its Common Stock to Aspire, and will always know at the time it gives a notice of sale what the cost of that round of financing will be.

Aspire has no right to require any sales by the Company, but is obligated to make purchases as the Company directs in accordance with the purchase agreement, and the Company has the right to terminate the agreement at any time. The agreement does not restrict other financings by the Company. A more detailed description of the transaction agreements with Aspire is set forth in the Company's current report on Form 8-K, filed today with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Ray Wood, Chief Financial Officer of ISCO, commented on the agreement, "This transaction is designed to provide both a source of working capital and maximum flexibility for the Company in determining the pricing and timing of any future financing it elects to use under this agreement. It provides us with access to capital that we believe will be adequate to fund our research activities for an extended period of time, but does not preclude us from pursuing additional financing during the term of the agreement. Because of the pricing flexibility this facility gives us, we believe that this agreement will provide both the lowest cost of capital currently available, plus maximum flexibility in meeting our future financing needs. If we don't need working capital or don't need as much as expected, we may elect not to use the facility. If we do need capital, it is available and we can choose when to obtain it."

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL STEM CELL CORPORATION (ISCO.OB)

International Stem Cell Corporation is a California-based biotechnology company focused on therapeutic and research products. ISCO's core technology, parthenogenesis, results in creation of pluripotent humanstem cells from unfertilized oocytes (eggs). These proprietary cells avoid ethical issues associated with use or destruction of viable human embryosand, unlike most other major stem cell types, can be immune matched and be a source of therapeutic cells with minimal rejection after transplantation into hundreds of millions of individuals of differing racial groups. ISCO also produces and markets specialized cells and growth media for therapeutic research worldwide through its subsidiary, Lifeline Cell Technology, and has developed and is now marketing a line of skin care products via its subsidiary, Lifeline Skin Care. ISCO is advancing novel human stem cell-based therapies where cells have been proven to be efficacious but traditional small molecule and protein therapeutics have not. More information is available on ISCO's website, http://www.internationalstemcell.com.

To subscribe to receive ongoing corporate communications please click on the following link: http://www.b2i.us/irpass.asp?BzID=1468&to=ea&s=0.

ABOUT ASPIRE CAPITAL FUND, LLC

Aspire Capital Fund, LLC is an institutional investor based in Chicago,Illinois, with a fundamental investment approach. Aspire Capital invests in a wide range of companies and industries emphasizing life sciences, energy and technology.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Statements pertaining to financing plans and capital needs, anticipatedtechnological developments and therapeutic applications, the potential benefits of opportunities for the company and its subsidiaries, along with other statements about the future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans, or prospects expressed by management constitute forward-looking statements. Any statements that are not historical fact (including, but not limited to statements that contain words such as "will," "should," "believes," "plans," "anticipates," "expects," "estimates,") should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, risks inherent in the development and/or commercialization of potential products, uncertainty in the results of clinical trials or regulatory approvals, need and ability to obtain future capital, application of capital resources among competing uses, and maintenance of intellectual property rights. Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements and as such should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect the company's business, particularly those mentioned in the cautionary statements found in the company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. The company disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Key Words: Stem Cells, Biotechnology, Parthenogenesis

International Stem Cell Corporation
Kenneth C. Aldrich, Chairman, 760-940-6383
kaldrich@intlstemcell.com
or
Ray Wood, CFO, 760-640-6383
rwood@intlstemcell.com

International Stem Cell Corporation (OTCBB:ISCO), http://www.internationalstemcell.com, announced today that the first new topical skin care products of its subsidiary, Lifeline Skin Care, are now available to the general public within the United States at http://www.lifelineskincare.com. Lifeline Skin Care's first two products consist of a Defensive Day Moisture Serum and Recovery Night Moisture Serum. Previously, these breakthrough serums, containing extracts from "parthenogenetic" stem cells, were available only to individuals and organizations formerly identified and selected for their interest in innovative approaches to skin care.

According to Lifeline Skin Care CEO, Dr. Ruslan Semechkin, "Because the quality products Lifeline Skin Care offers are experiencing strong demand and the human stem cell extracts require innovative manufacturing processes, we chose to develop our sales channels gradually and incrementally. We are very pleased with the customer feedback from our first limited launch and are delighted to now be able to expand production and make the products available to the general public within the US."

Purchases that could previously be made only by phone, can now be made directly through the company's website,http://www.lifelineskincare.com. "Enabling electronic order processing though our website provides the benefit of both lowering our transaction costs and increasing our scalability, while simultaneously simplifying the ordering process for our customers," said ISCO VP, Dr. Simon Craw.

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL STEM CELL CORPORATION (ISCO.OB)

International Stem Cell Corporation is a California-based biotechnology company focused on therapeutic and research products. ISCO's core technology, parthenogenesis, results in creation of pluripotent human stem cells from unfertilized oocytes (eggs). These proprietary cells avoid ethical issues associated with use or destruction of viable human embryos and, unlike most other major stem cell types, can be immune matched and be a source of therapeutic cells with minimal rejection after transplantation into hundreds of millions of individuals of differing racial groups. ISCO also produces and markets specialized cells and growth media for therapeutic research worldwide through its subsidiary, Lifeline Cell Technology, and is developing a line of cosmeceutical products via its subsidiary, Lifeline Skin Care. ISCO is advancing novel human stem cell-based therapies where cells have been proven to be efficacious but traditional small molecule and protein therapeutics have not. More information is available on ISCO's website, http://www.internationalstemcell.com.

To subscribe to receive ongoing corporate communications please click on the following link: http://www.b2i.us/irpass.asp?BzID=1468&to=ea&s=0.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Statements pertaining to anticipated developments, product introduction plans and related support, the potential benefits of planned products, anticipated sales growth for recently introduced products, and other opportunities for the company and its subsidiaries, along with other statements about the future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans, or prospects expressed by management constitute forward-looking statements. Any statements that are not historical fact (including, but not limited to statements that contain words such as "will," "believes," "plans," "anticipates," "expects," "estimates,") should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, risks inherent in the development and/or commercialization of potential products and the management of collaborations, regulatory approvals, need and ability to obtain future capital, application of capital resources among competing uses, and maintenance of intellectual property rights. Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements and as such should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect the company's business, particularly those mentioned in the cautionary statements found in the company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. The company disclaims any intent or obligation to update forward-looking statements.

Key Words: Stem cells, parthenogenesis, biotechnology, skin care, anti-aging

International Stem Cell Corporation

Kenneth C. Aldrich, Chairman

1-760-940-6383

kaldrich@intlstemcell.com

or

Lifeline Skin Care, Inc.

Ruslan Semechkin, PhD, President & CEO Vice President, ISCO

ras@intlstemcell.com

The initial launch of the serums is to a pre-existing list of interested parties. We expect that the products will be available to the general public via our online store http://www.lifelineskincare.com in the near future.

A key innovation in creating the Lifeline Skin Care™ serums was the encapsulation of the parthenogenetic stem cell extractsinto nanospheres, which not only protect the proteins, but substantially enhance the effectiveness of the serums. World renowned skin cream formulation experts assisted ISCO's scientists to create the finished products and ensure that the final serums deliver the most up-to-date advances in skin rejuvenation technology that also helps to prevent and repair damage caused by the environment.

According to Gregory S. Keller, MD, FACS (2007 Specialist of the Year in Facial Cosmetic Surgery in Strathmore's "Who's Who"): "These new day and night serums represent a huge step forward in anti-aging skin care products. Combining liposome-encapsulated proteins derived from ISCO's powerful new class human stem cells with a unique blend of anti-oxidants, vitamins and natural extracts, allowed Lifeline Skin Care to create highly effective stem cell-based serums that provide strong anti-aging benefits."

The new skin rejuvenation serums are based on the breakthrough discovery that certain proteins derived from ISCO's proprietary pluripotent human parthenogenetic stem cells are beneficial to the culture of human skin cells in the laboratory. ISCO, the world leader in human parthenogenetic stem cell technology, is studying this new class of stem cells, and has demonstrated their therapeutic potential in many fields of regenerative medicine. Human parthenogenetic stem cells are created from unfertilized human eggs and do not involve any harm to a viable human embryo, thus avoiding serious ethical questions that surround other areas of stem cell research. hpSC possess unique immune-matching attributes making them an excellent platform for the development of cellular therapies for large populations of individuals. As of today, ISCO has successfully derived ten hpSC lines. One of these lines carries the most common immune type found within the US population and can be immune-matched to an estimated 75 million people worldwide.

"The commercial launch of the new skin care products represents an important step in the execution of ISCO's strategy. The revenue generated from sales will help support the development of our therapeutic programs utilizing our unique and powerful class of human pluripotent stem cells," said Dr. Ruslan Semechkin, CEO of Lifeline Skin Care.

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL STEM CELL CORPORATION (ISCO.OB)

International Stem Cell Corporation is a California-based biotechnology company focused on therapeutic and research products. ISCO's core technology, parthenogenesis, results in creation of pluripotent human stem cells from unfertilized oocytes (eggs). These proprietary cells avoid ethical issues associated with use or destruction of viable human embryos and, unlike most other major stem cell types, can be immune matched and be a source of therapeutic cells with minimal rejection after transplantation into hundreds of millions of individuals of differing racial groups. ISCO also produces and markets specialized cells and growth media for therapeutic research worldwide through its subsidiary, Lifeline Cell Technology, and is developing a line of cosmeceutical products via its subsidiary, Lifeline Skin Care. ISCO is advancing novel human stem cell-based therapies where cells have been proven to be efficacious but traditional small molecule and protein therapeutics have not. More information is available on ISCO's website, http://www.internationalstemcell.com.

To subscribe to receive ongoing corporate communications please click on the following link: http://www.b2i.us/irpass.asp?BzID=1468&to=ea&s=0.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Statements pertaining to anticipated developments, product introduction plans, the potential benefits of planned products, collaborations, affiliations, and other opportunities for the company and its subsidiaries, along with other statements about the future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans, or prospects expressed by management constitute forward-looking statements. Any statements that are not historical fact (including, but not limited to statements that contain words such as "will," "believes," "plans," "anticipates," "expects," "estimates,") should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, risks inherent in the development and/or commercialization of potential products and the management of collaborations, regulatory approvals, need and ability to obtain future capital, application of capital resources among competing uses, and maintenance of intellectual property rights. Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements and as such should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect the company's business, particularly those mentioned in the cautionary statements found in the company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. The company disclaims any intent or obligation to update forward-looking statements.

Key Words: Stem cells, parthenogenesis, biotechnology, skin care, anti-aging

International Stem Cell Corporation
Kenneth C. Aldrich, Chairman
1-760-940-6383
kaldrich@intlstemcell.com
or
Lifeline Skin Care, Inc.
Ruslan Semechkin, PhD, President & CEO
Vice President, ISCO
ras@intlstemcell.com

Over the past six months I have been honored and pleased to have seen and been part of an increasing focus and attention being paid to the unique manufacturing and bioproduction issues related to cell therapy.

http://www.celltherapyblog.com hosted by http://www.celltherapygroup.com

Eminent geologist Jane Plant is now promoting a dietary program for the treatment of cancer, saying that going dairy-free and eating cancer-protective foods helped cure her breast cancer where conventional Western medicine had failed.

Plant was first diagnosed with cancer at age 42. Over the next five years, the cancer recurred four times "despite a radical mastectomy, three further operations, 35 radiotherapy treatments, several chemotherapy treatments and irradiation of my ovaries to induce the menopause," she writes in her book Your Life in Your Hands.

After the discovery of a cancerous lump in her neck, Plant came across statistics detailing the low rates of breast and prostate cancer in China. Since dairy is almost never consumed in China, she cut it out of her diet entirely and limited her intake of foods containing high levels of chemicals and hormones. She built her diet around foods that have been shown to protect against cancer.

The idea of a connection between diet and cancer is not new.

"The American Cancer Society estimates that of the 500,000 cancer deaths that occur in the United States, about one-third can be attributed to dietary factors, with another third being caused by cigarette smoking," writes Phyllis A. Balch in her book Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 4th Edition. Read more...

Cardiofy Heart Care Supplement