Shares in Asterias Biotherapeutics (NYSE:AST) jumped 11% today to $3.53 apiece after the company reported positive data for its AST-OPC1 progenitor cell therapy in patients with spinal cord injuries.
The Phase 1/2A clinical trial includes 6 patients in the AIS-A 10 million cell cohort. The company’s AST-OPC1 progenitor cell therapy is derived from human embryonic stem cells and has been shown to produce neurotrophic factors, stimulate vascularization and induce remyelination of denuded axons in animal models – functions that are critical for restoring nerve impulses in patients with spinal cord injuries, according to Asterias.
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