Hepatocyte precursors, a subpopulation of cells that include liver stem cells and other liver progenitors, are capable of extensive growth and of maturing into the functioning liver tissue

Aastrom Biosciences Inc., of Ann Arbor, Mich., and Loyola University Medical Center said researchers found positive clinical results with the first successful transplants of ex vivo-produced human stem cells in breast cancer patients...The stem cells were produced using the AastromReplicell Cell Production System and SC-I Therapy Kit

Inc., of Blue Bell, Pa., said it has become a sustaining partner with the Colon Cancer Alliance, a group that works with legislators, researchers, regulators, prevention specialists, the media, and the business and medical communities. • Ixion Biotechnology, of Alachua, Fla., said a study that shows the feasibility of using stem cells to produce new pancreatic tissue to treat diabetes will be featured in the March issue of Nature Medicine. • Myogen Inc., of Denver, formed a key alliance with

The company is applying novel embryonic stem cell screening technologies for drug discovery and development. • Targeted Genetics Corp. , of Seattle

CD25, a T-cell activation marker that may help remove alloreactive cells from a stem cell graft prior to transplant

As of Jan. 19, the company had 33.8 million shares outstanding. • StemCells Inc., of Sunnyvale, Calif., said it has achieved results that suggest it has succeeded, for the first time, in purifying human brain stem cells directly from brain tissue and dramatically expanded the number of these cells in simple defined cultures

Patients in the study were treated with Isis 5132 intravenously three times weekly. • Lexicon Genetics Inc., of The Woodlands, Texas, and the Merck Genome Research Institute (MGRI), of West Point, Pa., said Lexicon delivered 14 lines of knockout mice from its OmniBank library of 60,000 mouse embryonic stem cell clones

The two parties will then develop novel chemistries together. • CytoTherapeutics Inc., of Sunnyvale, Calif., sold its Encapsulated Cell Technology (ECT) to Neurotech SA, of Paris, and will concentrate on its core business of stem cell technology...CytoTherapeutics also has retained certain non-exclusive rights to use ECT in combination with its proprietary stem cell technology, as well as in the field of vaccines. • EluSys Therapeutics Inc., of Pine Brook, N.J., appointed Stephen Sudovar as

ImPACT products are generated from human muscle-derived stem cells or fibroblasts using the company's proprietary technology

HE2000 administered as a monotherapy produced no serious drug-related adverse events and was generally well tolerated, and it seemed to reduce viral load and increase a number of immune markers indicative of upregulation of a patient's immune system, the company said. • Layton Bioscience, of Atherton, Calif., entered into an exclusive, worldwide agreement with Children's Medical Center in Boston to research and develop applications for neural stem cell technology

The data were compiled from studies evaluating the system and the company’s two lead therapy kits for the production of bone marrow cells and umbilical cord blood cells, both for use in stem cell therapy to treat cancer and other blood diseases

The technology is used in generating mutations in genes and is widely used in gene targeting experiments in mouse embryonic stem cells for the generation of knockout mice. • Ligand Pharmaceuticals Inc., of San Diego, said it will exchange warrants to purchase shares of Ligand common stock at $7.12 per share and $1.12 per warrant

Kyokuto is now prohibited from any manufacture, sale or distribution of HCV antigens or test kits and is required to withdraw its HCV diagnostics products from the Japanese market by Feb. 1. • CytoTherapeutics Inc., of Sunnyvale, Calif., presented a study related to the isolation and expansion of human neural stem cells, which indicated that human brain stem cells can be isolated based on cell surface markers present on freshly obtained brain cells

The results were published in Tuesday's issue of Biochemical & Biophysical Research Communications. • Ixion Biotechnology, of Alachua, Fla., was awarded a $200,000 two-year exploratory/development grant for a project titled "Islets from Islet Progenitor/Stem Cells for Implantation...The grant will further the company's research efforts in regenerating functional islet-like clusters in vitro using islet-producing stem cells derived from adult pancreases. • La Jolla Pharmaceutical Co., of San Diego

WAY160910 is the third compound resulting from the collaboration. • Nexell Therapeutics Inc., of Irvine, Calif., launched in Europe its CE-marketed version of the Isolex 300I Positive/Negative Stem Cell Selection System...The Isolex 300I is fully automated, integrating all steps of the stem cell selection process into one procedure on a single instrument. • Oxis Therapeutics Inc., of Portland, Ore., said BXT-51072, its lead compound for the treatment of mild to moderate ulcerative colitis, showed

QBI will gain access to various purified stem cell subpopulations and will then apply its proprietary gene discovery technology platform to the stem cells to identify genes and proteins...Stem Cell Sciences, of Melbourne, Australia, signed a deal with Rhone-Poulenc Rorer Inc., of Collegeville, Pa., to provide RPR with the gene-screening technology to functionally validate neuroprotective genes and genetically engineered cells for use in RPR's Alzheimer's drug discovery program

The companies will conduct research into new stem cell products and culture media for the research and therapeutic markets...BioWhittaker will manufacture and market adult stem cells products through an exclusive worldwide license from Osiris

PSMA is the target antigen for the monoclonal antibody, 7E11, which is used in Cytogen's ProstaScint prostate cancer imaging agent. • Dendreon Corp., of Seattle, received approval to market DACS SC, a device used to prepare autologous hematopoietic stem cells from blood

The product is being developed for removing malignant lymphoma cells from autologous hematopoietic stem cell grafts of patients undergoing high-dose chemotherapy and transplantation for B-cell lymphomas