Research Pit

[lonestar1a1]

ACTC news today: Cells Show Ability to Repair Vascular Damage in Animals

-New, scalable population of hemangioblast cells halves the death rate
following heart attack and repairs ischemic limbs and damaged

vasculature-
WORCESTER, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 07, 2007--

Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. (OTCBB: ACTC) reported for the first time that
hemangioblast precursor cells derived from human embryonic stem (hES) cells can
be used to achieve vascular repair. The research, which appears today online
(ahead of print) in the journal Nature Methods, by Advanced Cell Technology
(ACT) and its collaborators, describes an efficient method for generating large
numbers of bipotential progenitors--known as hemangioblasts--from hES cells
that are capable of differentiating into blood vessels, as well as into all
blood and immune cell lineages.


"The ability to repair vascular damage using these cells could have a
profound impact on a large number of diseases that are major human
afflictions," said Robert Lanza, M.D., Vice President of Research & Scientific
Development at ACT, and senior author of the study. "Our results suggest the
possibility of using nature's early cellular developmental components to
restore vascularization and function in patients with vascular disease. An
injection of these cells may be able to prevent a patient from having a leg
amputated or from dying after a heart attack."


"We have developed for the first time a simple and highly scalable source of
human hemangioblasts," stated Shi-Jiang Lu, Ph.D., Director of Differentiation
at ACT and first author of the paper. "These proprietary cells represent a new
and distinctly different population of cells that can be differentiated into
vascular structures and multiple hematopoietic cell types. The elimination of
serum and other animal components from the system, as well as the ability to
generate an unlimited supply of these cells, will be important for future
preclinical and human studies."


When the cells were injected into animals that had damage to their retina due
to diabetes or ischemia-reperfusion injury (lack of adequate blood flow) of the
retina, the cells homed to the site of injury and showed robust reparative
function of the entire damaged vasculature within 24-48 hours. The cells showed
a similar regenerative capacity in animal models of both myocardial infarction
(50% reduction in mortality rate) and hind limb ischemia, with restoration of
blood flow to near normal levels.


"These cells were able to generate functional blood vessels in the presence
of severe tissue injury, as well as in chronic disease states," says Maria
Grant, M.D., Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Florida, and an
author on the paper. "These cells have a robust vascular reparative ability
under what is typically considered very adverse growth conditions making them
potentially ideal for treatment of diabetic vascular complications where
profound tissue compromise exists and healing is typically severely
compromised."


"While the cells in this study were tested in animal models, we believe this
breakthrough has the potential to benefit many Americans suffering from
vascular disease," stated William M. Caldwell, IV, Chairman and CEO of Advanced
Cell Technology. "ACT is committed to moving this technology from the
laboratory into the clinic. We plan on filing an Investigational New Drug
Application with the Food and Drug Administration for the first clinical
application of these cells by the end of next year."


The researchers of the paper from Advanced Cell Technology collaborated with
scientists from the University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, and the
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), New York, New York. The paper's
other authors are Qiang Feng of ACT, Sergio Caballero of the University of
Florida, and Yu Chen and Malcolm A.S. Moore, DPhil, of MSKCC.

About Advanced Cell Technology, Inc.


Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. is a biotechnology company applying embryonic
stem cell technology in the emerging field of regenerative medicine. The
company operates facilities in Alameda, California and Worcester,
Massachusetts.

For more information, please visit: www.advancedcell.com.

Forward-Looking Statements


Statements in this news release regarding future financial and operating
results, future growth in research and development programs, potential
applications of our technology, opportunities for the company and any other
statements about the future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans, or prospects
expressed by management constitute forward-looking statements within the
meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements
that are not statements of historical fact (including statements containing the
words "will," "believes," "plans," "anticipates," "expects," "estimates," and
similar expressions) should also be considered to be forward-looking
statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause actual
results or events to differ materially from those indicated by such
forward-looking statements, including: limited operating history, need for
future capital, risks inherent in the development and commercialization of
potential products, protection of our intellectual property, and economic
conditions generally. Additional information on potential factors that could
affect our results and other risks and uncertainties are detailed from time to
time in the company's periodic reports, including the annual report on Form
10-KSB for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2006.


Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, opinions, and
expectations of the company's management at the time they are made, and the
company does not assume any obligation to update its forward-looking statements
if those beliefs, opinions, expectations, or other circumstances should change.


CONTACT: Media
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Robert Stanislaro, 212-850-5657
or
Investors
The Investor Relations Group
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212-825-3210

SOURCE: Advanced Cell Technology, Inc.
Copyright Business Wire 2007


(END) Dow Jones Newswires

05-07-07 1308ET

13:08 050707