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Follow on Google News | Stem Cell Leader Beike Biotech lands USD $4 million for stem cell reprogramming laboratoryPatients suffering from a range of debilitating illnesses, such as spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, optic nerve hypoplasia, multiple sclerosis and ataxia stand to benefit from a new laboratory, established with a Chinese Government grant.
“We are already helping thousands of patients with our current umbilical cord stem cell treatments, but this ultra high-tech lab will bring us even closer to our goal of helping millions of patients improve their quality of life and will ensure that we have more advanced products in our pipeline four to five years out.” said Beike Biotech’s Chairman, Dr. Sean Hu. Detailed patient experiences with videos of patients that have been treated with Beike’s umbilical cord treatment can be found on China’s stem cell news website: http://www.stemcellschina.com. The 1,200 square meter laboratory will be housed in Beijing-based Tsinghua University’s special Shenzhen Graduate Campus located in this southern Chinese city that borders Hong Kong. Building on Beike’s years of experience in successfully using stem cells to treat humans with serious brain and nerve maladies, this designated “China Key Laboratory” marks the country’s entry into the current global race to find new stem cell therapies that can be applied medically. The USD $4 million grant will be spent purely on equipment and comes from the Shenzhen Municipal Government as part of a US$12 million grant given out in 2007 to encourage innovative technologies in Shenzhen. Further grants from the government are expected to help cover the cost of running the lab and expansion. The lab is to be staffed by over 50 people, including 20 renowned Chinese Phd’s and well-known researchers like Dr. Zhang Hai, who has published articles widely in Western periodicals, for example, “Nature” of her breakthroughs in research of microRNA and other cell building blocks. “Dr. Zhang Hai is a pioneer and our work with her will allow Beike to lead the world not only in clinical applications of stem cells but also in basic research. Outside of China, it is not easy to get a 20 Phd’s together in a first class lab focusing on stem cell research. We expect to have some breakthroughs come out of this and more publications in leading journals,” Dr. Sean Hu said. Stem cells are the master cells that replenish all the body's tissues, from skin and blood to the brain and heart. They have proven capability to assist in nerve and organ regeneration, enable tissue repair and restoration, and are even thought to be able to effectively treat cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Beike currently has seen significant success using stem cells to treat a variety of nervous system disorders for Chinese and International patients alike. (Details can be found at http://www.stemcellschina.com) About Beike Biotechnology Company Limited Beike is a biotechnology company that was founded in July 2005 with capital from Beijing University, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and Shenzhen City Hall when it commercialized stem cell technology that had been in research since 1999. As a private high-tech enterprise, it is dedicated to the clinical application of stem cell research. It is also supported with funds from the China State National Fund. The research and clinical work is a collaboration of Beijing University, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, No. 3 Army Medical University, Zhongshan Medical University, Guiyang Medical College and Zhengzhou University. About The Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University The Graduate School of Tsinghua University in Shenzhen is an institute jointly established by Shenzhen City Hall and Tsinghua University to provide training for talent at the postgraduate level in science and technical innovation. As the only non-Beijing located educational facility run by Tsinghua University, the Graduate School of Tshinghua in Shenzhen is committed to the integration of teaching, research, and rapid commercialization of scientific discovery. Website: www.stemcellguidance.com End
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