LONDON, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Jul 9, 2013) - Sernova Corp. (TSX VENTURE:SVA) today announced the Japan Patent Office has issued a Notice of Patent Allowance to Sernova for a patent entitled, "The production of a biological factor and creation of an immunologically privileged environment using genetically altered Sertoli cells."
When transplanted into a recipient, Sertoli cells provide an immune privileged environment for therapeutic cells without the need for anti-rejection drugs. The claims of this patent relate to Sertoli cells themselves which can release factors in the body to treat a range of chronic diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson's disease, various cancers, hemophilia B and other blood diseases.
"This patent allowance further strengthens Sernova's intellectual property position and provides Sernova with the unique ability to use cells with therapeutic capabilities that are also naturally protected from immune system attack," stated Dr. Philip Toleikis, Sernova's President and CEO. "We envision our Cell Pouch™ transplanted with these immune privileged Sertoli cells and releasing the correct replacement factor for the treatment of a variety of diseases, without the need for anti-rejection medications. We believe such a product would be a significant advancement in the cell-based treatment of deficiency diseases."
Sernova's medical collaborators have presented evidence at leading scientific conferences demonstrating that the Cell Pouch™ is a safe and effective platform for the delivery of factors such as insulin from therapeutic cells. Sernova is developing the Cell Pouch™ as an enabling platform to treat multiple chronic debilitating diseases with immune protected, therapeutic cells and is currently evaluating the safety and efficacy of the Cell Pouch™ in human clinical trials for diabetes.
About Sertoli Cells
Sertoli cells release protective factors that can provide a non-toxic, immune-protected environment potentially eliminating the need for daily anti-rejection drugs that currently must be used by patients with transplanted tissues and organs. Production of therapeutic factors from the Sertoli cells would provide a means to treat disease without the concern of immune destruction of the transplanted therapeutic cells.
As part of its local immune protection Sertoli development process with therapeutic cells, Sernova is currently conducting preclinical studies to optimize Sertoli cells and islets within the Cell Pouch™ through a NRC-IRAP contribution agreement provided by the Government of Canada.
About Sernova
Sernova Corp. is a Canadian-based health sciences company focused on product development and commercialization of innovative proprietary platform medical technologies in the cell therapy arena such as the Cell Pouch System™ to provide a safe and efficacious environment for therapeutic cells and Sertolin™, a technology which, when combined with cell therapy, may protect therapeutic cells without the need for patients to take anti-rejection drugs. Sernova's first cell therapy application is for insulin-dependent diabetes to reduce or eliminate the need for insulin injections.