Asterias’ technology has broad potential applications in a wide range of degenerative diseases beyond our current focus areas of neurology and oncology. Among the assets we acquired from Geron were additional therapeutic development programs in the fields of orthopedics, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. In the field of orthopedics, hESC derived chondrocytes (cartilage producing cells) have the potential to regenerate articular cartilage for the treatment of osteoarthritis. In the field of cardiovascular disease, hESC-derived heart muscle cells, or cardiomyocytes, are being investigated for the potential repair of heart failure and myocardial infarction. And finally, insulin-producing cells called beta islets can be produced from hES cells for the potential treatment of diabetes. It is our long-term goal to expand our development focus into additional therapeutic areas as we develop Asterias and its pluripotent stem cell technology into the future.
Scientific references for other diseases and advancements
A knee joint showing cartilage (purple color). hESC derived stem cells can produce cartilage producing cells that have the potential to repair articular cartilage for the treatment of osteoarthritis.
hESC-derived heart muscle cells, or cardiomyocytes, are being investigated for the potential repair of heart failure and myocardial infarction