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Background
The
TriStem Group has been set up by Mr.Ghazi Dhoot and
Dr. Ilham Saleh Abuljadayel to further research and
develop its retrodifferentiation technology
which
is
used to create stem cells from mature adult
cells. The retrodifferentiation technology is based on the
results of 12 years of research and currently TriStem
is the only company that owns, and is in the process
of
commercialising, this technology. The main advantage of TriStem's
new process over existing methods of harvesting stem
cells is that it provides large quantities
of stem cells which are by definition DNA matched and,
therefore, bypasses the political and ethical issues
concerned with therapeutic cloning.
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TriStem
believes that there is a wide ranging potential for
clinical, pharmaceutical and biotechnological applications
for its proprietary stem cell technology.
For example, novel compounds could be screened for their
retrodifferentiation ability in order to manipulate
a specific cell type in the body and such cells can
be studied for research purposes to better understand
stem cell biology.
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Stem
cells are being investigated as therapeutics for a
wide variety of applications. TriStem will initially
evaluate the clinical potential of its retrodifferentiation
stem cell technology
in aplastic anaemia, thalassemia and leukaemia patients
that would ordinarily require a blood marrow transplant(BMT).
Leukaemia, a disease which resulted in an estimated
22,100 deaths
in the United States alone
in 1999, is also a disease area with a wide
unmet
clinical need and a large potential for expedited clinical
development.
TriStem will also in due course explore the application
of
its technology
in
other
areas of
oncology such as
lymphoma, myeloma and solid tumours. In addition, the technology
should over time be employed in the treatment of a
much wider range of illnesses such as spinal cord injury,
diabetes and heart disease.
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