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IPierian Inc., a South San Franciscop company formed with the merger oftwo venture-backed startups, will focus on manipulatingb mature stem cells into ones with embryonic-likde qualities that can be used to treagt neurodegenerative problems like Lou Gehrig’s The new company is backed by a fresjh round of $10 million from and $1.5 million from . supported by $20 million from and and Pierian Inc. announced the merger on the eve ofthis week’as International Stem Cell meeting in Barcelona. Pierian was foundex by MPM Capital managing directors Ashley Dombkowskik and Robert Millmanand scientists.
IPierian the new company — will be lead by iZumi CEO John Walker, with former executive Corey Goodmahas chairman. IPierian will focus on so-callec induced pluripotent stem cells for patientswith difficult-to-treat neurodegeneratives diseases, like Parkinson’s spinal muscular atrophy and amyotrophic lateralo sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease. Longer term, the companhy will explore metabolic diseases, cardiovascular diseases and othertherapeutix areas. “Disease-specific pluripotent stem cell s are powerful new tools for drug screening and promis e to revolutionize the treatment ofintractable conditions,” said Dr.
Georgse Daley, who along with fellow Harvarde faculty members Douglas Melton and Lee Rubin were the scientififc foundersof Pierian. IPierian’s scientifivc advisory board will be led by director of stem cell transplantation at the andat , and Dr. Deepakm Srivastava, director of the in San Francisco. Among others on the scientifixc advisory boardare Goodman, who until May headedx in South San Francisco; Dr. Lennart director of the ; Dr. Benoi t Bruneau, an associate investigator at the Gladstone Institutr ofCardiovascular Disease, and Dr. Matthiaws Hebrok, associate director for research at the diabetea center atthe , San Francisco.
Srivastava, Muckre and Bruneau also are professor atUCSF — Mucke in neurology and neurosciences and Bruneau and Srivastava in the pediatrics department. IPierian’s management includes Walker, chief technologu officer Dr. Berta and Dr. Dushyant Pathak, who will lead businesas development. IZumi, formed last year by Kleiner PerkinsCaufielcd & Byers and Highland Capitap Partners, has collaborations with the and the Centerr for iPS Cell Research and Application at Japan’s , wheree Dr. Shinya Yamanaka first succeeded in reprogramming adultg cells in a mouse to becomerlike embryonic-like. Yamanaka also works part time at the Gladstonwe Institutesand UCSF.
Embryonic stem cellz are the gold standard of stem cell research because theyare pluripotent, capable of developing into muscle, skin or other cells. Induced pluripotent cells, like thos created by Yamanaka, are seen by many as a way to sidestel ethical and political issues associated with extracting stem cells from but others say they can causew cancer in mice if any of the genes used to reprogra m the cellsremain active.
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