Recently, BioInformant released an article titled, “Do You Know the Top 5 iPS Cell Influencers (Right Now)?” In it, we named the five most important thought leaders that are driving therapeutic and commercial progress with induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) right now in 2015. One of the important individuals that we highlighted was Dr. Robert Lanza, Chief Scientific Officer of Ocata Therapeutics.
In response to this article, Ocata Therapeutics released a press release announcing that “Dr. Robert Lanza, Chief Scientific Officer of Ocata Therapeutics has been awarded the honor of iPSC industry influencer by BioInformant, a leading research firm serving the stem cell sector.”
Read the full press release below for more details. Enjoy!
Original press release available at: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150903005739/en/Dr.-Robert-Lanza-Chief-Scientific-Officer-Ocata#.VeiusvlViko
[September 03, 2015 09:00 AM EST] MARLBOROUGH, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)
Ocata Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:OCAT), a leader in the field of Regenerative Ophthalmology™, today announced that Dr. Robert Lanza, Chief Scientific Officer of Ocata Therapeutics has been awarded the honor of iPSC industry influencer by BioInformant, a leading research firm serving the stem cell sector. Dr. Lanza was honored both for his specific involvement in early-stage, pioneering research in the area of induced Pluripotent Stem Cells, or “iPSCs”, as well as for his influence as CSO of Ocata, a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on commercialization of regenerative medicine and cell therapy technologies.
“Dr. Lanza’s pioneering research in cell therapies has made a significant contribution to the invention and development of potential products to treat diseases with no cures or effective treatments available,” said Paul K. Wotton, President and CEO of Ocata. “Bob’s vision has enabled Ocata to create a leadership position in pluripotent stem cell technology, including hESC and iPSC programs, that offer hope for safe and effective treatments for eye diseases such as macular degeneration, retinosa pigmentosa and glaucoma, as well as autoimmune diseases including lupus, Crohn’s disease and multiple sclerosis, amongst others.”
Since Dr. Yamanaka discovered how to generate iPSCs in 2007, there has been tremendous enthusiasm about the potential to use these pluripotent cells to develop commercially viable therapies. Ocata Therapeutics was one of the first companies to begin exploring iPSCs for clinical purposes and has conducted research into overcoming technical challenges associated with iPSCs, such as increased cell death, early senescence, and limited growth and expansion capability.
Dr. Lanza’s work in the area of iPSCs also received wide-spread recognition in 2009 when he and a team led by Kwang-Soo Kim at Harvard University reported a method for generating human iPSCs from skin cells via direct delivery of proteins, which removed the risks associated with genetic manipulation. This method created a significantly safer and less controversial source of patient-specific iPSCs for use in clinical applications. The Editors of the journal Nature selected Lanza and Kim’s paper on protein reprogramming as one of five “Research Highlights” of 2009. Dr. Lanza and his team have also discovered how to turn iPSCs into a wide range of important replacement cell types, including universal platelets, red blood cells, as well as ocular cell types such as photoreceptors, and ganglion cells, which have the potential to provide therapies for some of the world’s most debilitating eye conditions.
About Ocata Therapeutics, Inc.
Ocata Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of regenerative ophthalmology therapeutics. Ocata’s most advanced products are in clinical trials for the treatment of Stargardt’s macular degeneration, dry age-related macular degeneration, and myopic macular degeneration. Ocata’s intellectual property portfolio includes pluripotent stem cell platforms – hESC and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) – and other cell therapy research programs. For more information, visit www.ocata.com.