ANN ARBOR, Mich., April 12, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aastrom Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq:ASTM), a leading developer of autologous cellular therapies for the treatment of severe cardiovascular diseases, today announced the appointments of Daniel R. Salomon, M.D., Karen K. Hirschi, Ph.D., Marc Penn, M.D., Ph.D., FACC, and Mahendra Rao, M.D., Ph.D., to its newly formed scientific advisory board (SAB). These distinguished scientists and clinicians will provide guidance to Aastrom in their respective areas of expertise in stem cell biology and cardiovascular disease.

Daniel R. Salomon, M.D., chairman of Aastrom's SAB, is medical director of the Center for Organ and Cell Transplantation for Scripps Health at Scripps Green Hospital. He is an associate professor in the department of molecular and experimental medicine at The Scripps Research Institute. His research interests include investigation of how molecular mechanisms driving immune cell activation and tissue injury are regulated at the gene transcriptional and proteomic level. Dr. Salomon's work also focuses on mapping molecular networks that relate to clinical outcomes in cell and organ transplantation. He was the chair of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Biological Response Modifiers Advisory Committee and has served on multiple NIH study sections and special emphasis panels for over 15 years.

Karen K. Hirschi, Ph.D., is deputy director of the Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Center and a professor in the departments of pediatrics and molecular and cellular biology in the Center for Gene Therapy at Baylor College of Medicine. She is also a professor in the department of bioengineering at Rice University. Dr. Hirschi is an expert in blood vessel formation and is currently studying the potential of adult and embryonic stem and progenitor cells to contribute to neovascularization in response to tissue injury and growth. She has published numerous articles about vascular development and gene therapy in leading medical publications.

Marc Penn, M.D., Ph.D., FACC, is medical director of the Center for Cardiovascular Cell Therapy at the Cleveland Clinic. He is also a staff cardiologist in the department of cardiovascular medicine in the Heart & Vascular Institute of Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Penn has developed drug-delivery systems for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases and has produced studies to optimize gene therapy and stem cell therapy for the regeneration of myocardial tissue. Previously Dr. Penn has served as medical director of the coronary intensive care unit and director of the experimental cardiology laboratory at Cleveland Clinic.

Mahendra Rao, M.D., Ph.D., is vice president of regenerative medicine, primary and stem cell systems, at Life Technologies. Dr. Rao is an expert in glial stem cell biology and for the last 20 years has acted as a scientific consultant for a broad range of constituencies in academia, government, regulatory affairs and industry. He has also served as chair of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) Advisory committee as well as stem cell section chief in the laboratory of neuroscience at the National Institute of Aging. Dr. Rao maintains an academic appointment at the Buck Institute on Aging Research and has been a professor at the University of Utah School of Medicine, where his research focused on stem cells of the central nervous system. 

"Aastrom's tissue repair cell technology has shown great potential in the treatment of two critical cardiovascular diseases," said SAB chairman Daniel R. Salomon, M.D. "We look forward to advising Aastrom on expanding the therapeutic applications of its TRCs as well as providing our perspectives on promising new technologies that will further enrich the company's product portfolio."

In March Aastrom announced that the final patient treatments had occurred in its IMPACT-DCM Phase 2 and RESTORE-CLI Phase 2b trials. In February the company reported highlights from a planned analysis of RESTORE-CLI interim data and announced plans to conclude study enrollment early in order to accelerate its completion and the initiation of Phase 3 planning.

"We welcome the strong clinical and research experience that Drs. Salomon, Hirschi, Penn and Rao bring to Aastrom's new scientific advisory board," said Tim Mayleben, president and CEO of Aastrom. "These highly respected experts will play an important advisory role in supporting our development programs and product commercialization plans."

About Aastrom Biosciences

Aastrom Biosciences is developing autologous cellular therapies for use in the treatment of severe cardiovascular diseases. The company's proprietary cell-processing technology enables the production of cellular therapies using a patient's own bone marrow that can be delivered directly to damaged tissues. Aastrom has advanced this technology into late-stage clinical development and is conducting two Phase 2 clinical trials to treat dilated cardiomyopathy and a Phase 2b clinical trial to treat critical limb ischemia. For more information, please visit Aastrom's website at www.aastrom.com.

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This document contains forward-looking statements, including without limitation, statements concerning clinical trial plans and expectations, clinical activity timing, intended product development and commercialization objectives, expected timing of collecting and analyzing treatment data and possible communications with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, all of which involve certain risks and uncertainties. These statements are often, but are not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as "anticipates," "intends," "estimates," "plans," "expects," "we believe," "we intend," and similar words or phrases, or future or conditional verbs such as "will," "would," "should," "potential," "could," "may," or similar expressions. Actual results may differ significantly from the expectations contained in the forward-looking statements. Among the factors that may result in differences are the inherent uncertainties associated with clinical trial and product development activities, regulatory approval requirements, competitive developments, and the availability of resources and the allocation of resources among different potential uses. These and other significant factors are discussed in greater detail in Aastrom's Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward looking statements reflect management's current views and Aastrom 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 release except as required by law.

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