BioTime, Inc., (OTCBB:BTIM) and its wholly-owned subsidiary Embryome Sciences, Inc. announced today the launch of Embryome.com and the International Embryome Initiative, an international collaboration with scientists around the world to create the first systematic map of all the cell types derived from human embryonic stem cells. In a paper published today titled “The International Embryome Initiative: A Collaborative Database for Navigating the Complexities of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Differentiation,” available online at www.futuremedicine.com/loi/rme, BioTime and Embryome Sciences describe the collaboration to map the “embryome” in a manner similar to the international initiatives to map the human DNA or genome in the 1990s. While the database launched today at Embryome.com is currently populated with nearly 2,000 distinct cell types, the complete map will require the collective efforts of hundreds of scientists over the coming months.
ALAMEDA, Calif. (Business Wire EON) June 27, 2008 -- The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, which is the funding arm of the $3 billion California stem cell initiative, has agreed to be the first subscriber to all features of the database on behalf of all researchers residing within the state of California. Details are available at log in to the database at www.embryome.com.
"Human embryonic stem (hES) cells have the innate potential to become all of the diverse cell types of the human body," said Dr. Michael D. West, CEO of BioTime and Embryome Sciences. "However, understanding how to control and use that potential is the greatest challenge in the field of regenerative medicine today. The sheer complexity of cell
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