NEW YORK, Nov. 29, 2006 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- National Stem Cell Holding, Inc. (Pink Sheets:NHGI) announced today the submission of a patent application for a new containment system for cryopreservation of blood or blood components. The PluriPak will enable laboratories to preserve blood from one donor in multiple collection bags joined by partition mechanisms that allow for rapid separation of desired units while still in cryopreservation. The rapid separation of each compartment enhances viability of the stored cells and reduces the risk of loss associated with temperature-gradient changes.
PluriPak is designed to adhere to all protocols associated with closed-end systems and to be compatible with many of the current processing systems. PluriPak will be manufactured to comply with all existing federal and agency regulations.
National Stem Cell Laboratory Services, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the parent company NHGI, will conduct validation trials for the PluriPak. The company anticipates beginning validation testing in Q2 2007.
"PluriPak will have enormous value for blood banks overall and umbilical cord blood banks in particular. We are creating a medical device that will integrate with both existing cryopreservation techniques and is also being designed to be compatible with new or future technology for therapeutic delivery such as pooling and expansion," states Michael Cohen, CEO of National Stem Cell, "and we anticipate a growing market for innovative blood storage techniques and devices as more and more families opt to bank umbilical cord blood."
About National Stem Cell Holding, Inc.
National Stem Cell Holding, Inc. (Pink Sheets:NHGI) is a biotechnology company headquartered in New York City dedicated to the advancement of regenerative medicine. Incorporated in 2005, National Stem Cell Holding, Inc. is the parent company of National Stem Cell, Inc., which operates the Sperm Bank of New York as a wholly owned subsidiary. Through its sponsored research agreement with the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine's Institute for Cell Engineering, National Stem Cell is focused on the development of potential stem cell therapies for the treatment of diabetes and cardiac injury. The company is developing a genetically diverse umbilical cord blood bank to meet the growing need for transplant grade umbilical cord blood stem cells. For more information, please visit www.nationalstemcell.com.
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