Amarantus Bioscience Announces Publication of Peer-Reviewed Data for MANF in Ischemia-Induced Neural Injury

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Nov. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Amarantus Bioscience, Inc. (OTCQB: AMBS), a biotechnology company developing new treatments and diagnostics for Parkinson's disease and Traumatic Brain Injury centered on its proprietary anti-apoptosis therapeutic protein MANF, today announced that an independent peer-reviewed research paper entitled Upregulation of mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor in glial cells is associated with ischemia-induced glial activation was published in the Journal of Neuroinflammation. The research paper concludes: "These results indicate that MANF expression was up-regulated in the activated glial cells, which may contribute to the mechanism of ischemia-induced neural injury." Glial cells are non-neuronal cells that maintain homeostasis, form myelin, and provide support and protection for neurons in the brain, and for neurons in other parts of the nervous system.

In this research paper, the authors describe the process by which MANF is upregulated in glial cells in response to induced cerebral ischemia. The authors identified that while MANF was consistently expressed in neurons in both the normal and ischemic cerebral cortex, MANF expression in astrocytes was down-regulated under normal conditions, whereas MANF expression in astrocytes was heavily upregulated under ischemic conditions in the cortex. This result provides further evidence to support the theory that MANF is upregulated by cells in times of stress in order to maintain cell viability.

MANF was discovered from the first of Amarantus' 88 proprietary PhenoGuard astrocyte cell lines. Astrocytes are glial cells in the brain that support neuroprotection, neurogenesis and synaptogenesis. PhenoGuard is the cell immortalization process developed by Company scientists to create immortal lines of astrocytes from various parts of the brain associated with neurodegenerative diseases. These immortal lines give the Company a competitive advantage in the search for undiscovered neurotrophic factors that address critically important biological pathways involved in human diseases. The Company believes it can discover a stable of novel MANF-like proteins using its proprietary PhenoGuard platform technology. PhenoGuard was originally developed in the Neurotrophic Factors Group at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) in Bethesda, Maryland.

About Amarantus Bioscience, Inc.

Amarantus Bioscience, Inc. is a development-stage biotechnology company founded in January 2008.  The Company has a focus on developing certain biologics surrounding the intellectual property and proprietary technologies it owns to treat and/or diagnose Parkinson's disease, Traumatic Brain Injury and other human diseases.  The Company owns the intellectual property rights to a therapeutic protein known as Mesencephalic-Astrocyte-derived Neurotrophic Factor ("MANF") and is developing MANF-based products as treatments for brain disorders. The Company also is a Founding Member of the Coalition for Concussion Treatment (#C4CT), a movement initiated in collaboration with Brewer Sports International seeking to raise awareness of new treatments in development for concussions and nervous-system disorders. For further information please visit www.Amarantus.com.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the possible benefits of MANF therapeutic applications and/or advantages presented by Amarantus' PhenoGuard technology, as well as statements about expectations, plans and prospects of the development of Amarantus' new product candidates. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including the risks that the anticipated benefits of the therapeutic drug candidates or discovery platforms, as well as the risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to the development of Amarantus' new product candidates, including those identified under "Risk Factors" in Amarantus' most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and in other filings Amarantus periodically makes with the SEC. Actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by these forward-looking statements Amarantus does not undertake to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect a change in its views or events or circumstances that occur after the date of this presentation. This press release does not represent an offer to buy or sell securities.

Amarantus Bioscience, Inc.
(408) 737-2734
[email protected]

Investor/Media Contact:
IR Sense, LLC
Remy Bernarda
415-203-6386
[email protected]

SOURCE Amarantus Bioscience, Inc.

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