StemCells Inc reported that the U.S. Patent office has granted U.S. Patent Number 6,541,251 with claims covering methods for isolating pancreatic progenitor cells in mammals, including humans. These progenitors are the cells that give rise to insulin producing cells. StemCells has the exclusive license to the patent, which arose out of research conducted at Dr. Nora Sarvetnick's laboratory at the Scripps Research Institute under funding from StemCells Inc.

"This patent claims a cell-surface protein marker and methods that can be used to tag the progenitor cells that will generate insulin-producing cells. This unique protein marker provides us with a means to purify these progenitor cells using the same technology platform the company has used for the identification and isolation of its human neural stem cells. The adult pancreas has very limited regenerative capacity, and in insulin deficient diabetes, the insulin-producing cells are destroyed and do not regenerate. The potential significance of this patent is that by isolating a highly enriched population of progenitor cells and transplanting it, we may be able to provide an internal source of insulin that might ameliorate, or even cure, the disease." said Martin McGlynn, President and CEO of StemCells Inc. "The patent claims cover cells identified from a variety of tissue sources, including fetal, neonatal, and adult tissue," McGlynn added.

The Company previously announced the June 5th, 2001 issuance of another U.S. Patent invented by Dr. Sarvetnick and her colleagues at Scripps, pertaining to a unique mouse model which it believes will also be useful for identifying stem/progenitor cells for the pancreas and liver.