NEWARK, Calif., Sept. 27, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- StemCells, Inc. (STEM) today announced that the first patient with an incomplete spinal cord injury has been enrolled in the Company's Phase I/II clinical trial in chronic spinal cord injury and transplanted with the Company's proprietary HuCNS-SC(R) neural stem cells. The patient, a Canadian man who suffered a thoracic spinal cord injury from a sports-related accident, was administered the cells yesterday at Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, a world leading medical center for spinal cord injury and rehabilitation. This is the first patient in the second cohort of the trial, which will be comprised of four patients who retain some sensory function below the level of trauma and are therefore considered to have an incomplete injury.

"This is an important milestone for StemCells and the spinal cord injury community as it is the first time anyone has ever transplanted neural stem cells into a patient with an incomplete injury," said Stephen Huhn, MD, FACS, FAAP, Vice President and Head of the CNS Program at StemCells, Inc. "Given the encouraging interim data from the most severely injured patient cohort that we reported earlier this month, testing patients with less severe injury should afford us an even better opportunity to continue to test safety and to detect and assess clinical changes. Unlike the patients in the first cohort, patients with incomplete injuries have retained a degree of spinal cord function that might be even further augmented by transplantation with neural stem cells."

Earlier this month, the Company reported that interim six-month data from the first patient cohort in the Phase I/II clinical trial continued to demonstrate a favorable safety profile, and showed considerable gains in sensory function in two of the three patients compared to pre-transplant baselines. Patients in the first cohort all suffered a complete injury to their spinal cord, leaving them with no neurological function below the level of injury. Following transplantation with HuCNS-SC cells, there were no abnormal clinical, electrophysiological or radiological responses to the cells, and all the patients were neurologically stable through the first six months after transplantation. Changes in sensitivity to touch, heat and electrical stimuli were observed in well-defined and consistent areas below the level of injury in two of the patients, while the third patient remained stable. Importantly, the changes in sensory function were confirmed objectively by measures of electrical impulse transmission across the site of injury, each of which correlated with the clinical examination.

About the Spinal Cord Injury Clinical Trial

The Phase I/II clinical trial of StemCells, Inc.'s HuCNS-SC(R) purified human adult neural stem cells is designed to assess both safety and preliminary efficacy. Twelve patients with thoracic (chest-level) neurological injuries at the T2-T11 level are planned for enrollment, and their injuries must have occurred within three to twelve months prior to transplantation of the cells. In addition to assessing safety, the trial will assess preliminary efficacy based on defined clinical endpoints, such as changes in sensation, motor function and bowel/bladder function. The Company has dosed the first patient cohort, all of whom have injuries classified as AIS A according to the American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS). In AIS A injuries, there is no neurological function below the injury level. The second cohort will be patients classified as AIS B, in which there is some preservation of sensory or motor function below the injury level. The third cohort will be patients classified as AIS C, in which there is some preservation of both sensory and motor function.

All patients will receive HuCNS-SC cells through direct transplantation into the spinal cord and will be temporarily immunosuppressed. Patients will be evaluated regularly in the post-transplant period in order to monitor and assess the safety of the HuCNS-SC cells, the surgery and the immunosuppression, as well as to measure any recovery of neurological function below the injury site. The Company intends to follow the effects of this therapy long-term, and each of the patients will be invited to enroll into a separate four year observational study after completing the Phase I/II study.

The trial is being conducted at Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, a world leading medical center for spinal cord injury and rehabilitation, and is open for enrollment to patients in Europe, Canada and the United States. Enrollment for the second cohort is now underway. If you believe you may qualify and are interested in participating in the study, please contact the study nurse either by phone at +41 44 386 39 01 or by email at stemcells.pz@balgrist.ch.

Additional information about the Company's spinal cord injury program can be found on the StemCells, Inc. website at http://www.stemcellsinc.com/Therapeutic-Programs/Clinical-Trials.htm and at http://www.stemcellsinc.com/Therapeutic-Programs/Spinal-Cord-Injury.htm, including video interviews with Company executives and independent collaborators.

About Balgrist University Hospital

Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich is recognized worldwide as a highly specialized center of excellence providing examination, treatment and rehabilitation opportunities to patients with serious musculoskeletal conditions. The clinic owes its leading international reputation to its unique combination of specialized medical services. The hospital's carefully-balanced, interdisciplinary network brings together under one roof medical specialties including orthopedics, paraplegiology, radiology, anesthesiology, rheumatology, and physical medicine. More information about Balgrist University Hospital is available at http://www.balgrist.ch.

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StemCells, Inc. Achieves Spinal Cord Injury Milestone With First Neural Stem Cell Transplant Into Patient With Sensory ...

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