(OTCBB:ISCO)

Parthenote Cell Lines are important for a number of reasons.

1. Parthenote Cell Lines are efficient to produce, have all the beneficial characteristics of traditional human embryonic (hESC) cell lines, plus enjoy several additional advantages, while suffering fewer disadvantages. They contain a full complement of genes, and can be differentiated into all major cell types. Specifically, the cells are diploid, display typical hESC morphology, differentiate into all three embryonic germ layers, and are immune matched (Major Histocompatability Complex (MHC) matched) to the donors. We have already differentiated our lines into retinal cells (RPEs), human corneal tissue, liver cells and heart cells (cardiomyocytes). Work is ongoing in ISCO labs to differentiate into pancreatic islet cells (for diabetes).
    

2. Parthenote Cell Lines, because they are obtained from unfertilized eggs, contain only the DNA of the donor, which vastly simplifies the task of matching donor cells to patients to eliminate immune rejection. Our “HLA-homozygous” parthenogenetic cell lines have the quality to match the immune systems of large segments of the population, allowing the creation of a true “Cell Bank” that matches the immune systems of entire population. This cell bank promises to be a valuable resource for the entire field of regenerative medicine. For patients such as children, who cannot take immune suppressing drugs for an extended period of time, this could be life changing, or even truly life saving.
    

3. Parthenote Cell Lines provide an ethical alternative to embryonic stem cell lines.  ISCO’s Parthenote lines do not use fertilized embryos, and prevailing scientific opinion indicates that, unlike embryonic stem cells, they do not have the potential (or the risk) of being used to create a complete human being.   As a result, we believe cells derived from our lines will find a much wider range of public acceptance.
    

4. ISCO’s Parthenote Cell Lines have been developed with minimal animal by-products, a characteristic likely to be important in meeting FDA requirements for human trials.  Additionally, ISCO’s cells have been developed in conformity with international standards for informed patient consent, using all volunteer donors, and without interfering with the normal in-vitro fertilization process of the donors.  (All of the women whose cells were used in our cell lines gave birth to healthy babies.)