AVI BIOPHARMA GAINS PATENTS COVERING PRESERVATION, EXPANSION OF STEM CELLS USING NEUGENE ANTISENSE AGENTS

AVI BioPharma has been issued a U.S. patent and notice of allowance on another patent, covering the use of antisense to modulate stem-cell maturation.

AVI's third-generation NEUGENE antisense agents, which target transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) and other gene targets, have been shown to program stem cells in culture for long-term survival after implantation.