ProtoKinetix, Incorporated (www.protokinetix.com) (the "Company" or "ProtoKinetix") (OTCQB: PKTX), a clinical-stage biomedical company, today announced the submission of a research paper describing cell characterization, graft evaluation, and yield of islet-like cells differentiated from patient-derived iPSCS for the treatment and eventual cure of Type-1 Diabetes for publication in Cell Stem Cell, a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by Cell Press.

Download the Paper here

The paper provides results from its ongoing collaborative work to optimize stem cell-derived islet transplantation alongside the lab of Dr. James Shapiro MD, PhD, FRCSC, MSM FCAHS, AHS Director of Clinical Islet, Liver Transplant and Living Donor Liver Transplant Programs, Canada Research Chair in Transplant Surgery and Regenerative Medicine, Professor of Surgery, Medicine and Surgical Oncology, University of Alberta.

This work is highlighted in a recently released preprint titled “Cell Characterization, Graft Evaluation, and Yield of Islet-Like Cells Differentiated From Patient-Derived iPSCs” that reports the development of a personalized islet cell therapy from human patient’s own blood. In this study, the researchers generated induced pluripotent stem cells from patient’s own blood which were then differentiated, or turned into, insulin-producing islet cells through an optimized protocol developed by the Shapiro lab. The goal of such work is to develop personalized islets to transplant back into recipients as their own cell source, in an effort to eliminate the need for immunosuppression.

ProtoKinetix has been working alongside Dr. James Shapiro and his lab to improve the yield of protocols to generate islets from stem cells. In this study, the addition of PKX-001 (AAGP®) to these protocols improved the yield of islet generation significantly and dramatically reduced the cost of generating stem cell-derived islet cells. Importantly, in addition to increasing yield, AAGP® did not negatively affect the quality of islet products. AAGP® treated cells maintained similar characteristics and function to untreated cells but had improved product yield. Ongoing work to evaluate the use of AAGP® within suspension formats will help to determine further utility of massively scaling such products for clinical implementation.

Dr. James Shapiro Bio

“These results give ProtoKinetix a major opportunity to partner with and participate in clinical trials with major corporations in stem cell therapy treatments for diseases.” – Clarence Smith, CEO President

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About ProtoKinetix, Incorporated

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