Awareness of Nuclear/Biological Terrorism hits Close to Home as Two Documentaries Highlight its Devasting Effects are Broadcast --Bioterrorism Expert Available for Comment

Scientist available to discuss Emergency Preparedness in the Event of Nuclear/Biological Attack in America

Scottsdale, AZ (PRWEB) September 10, 2004 -- The event of a biological and nuclear terrorism and their effects are taking center stage this month as two HBO documentaries examine the past and the future. Filmmaker Maryann De Leo's Oscar(R)-winning documentary, Chernobyl Heart (seen this month on HBO) examines the still-lingering impact of the explosion of the Chernobyl Power station in the Ukraine, which sent 190 tons of highly radioactive uranium and graphite into the atmosphere. The effects of radiation continue to plague the area through cancer, heart and birth defects.

Another HBO documentary airing this month focuses on the twenty million people who live within a 50-mile radius of the Indian Point Energy Center and its three nuclear reactors. Indian Point: Imagining the Unimaginable, (directed by Rory Kennedy) takes a cautionary, "what if?" look at the possible consequences of an accident or terrorist attack on the facility--a catastrophe that could potentially render much of the Hudson River Valley and New York City uninhabitable.

Cautious Scientist Available for Comment
It is vital that the public is reminded about Chernobyl and are being made aware of the dangers surrounding their local power plants. It bothers me that the people of this nation don't realize, in my mind, the threat that faces us," says Dr. Mark Witten, research professor at the University of Arizona and co-founder and acting head researcher of ImmuneRegen Biosciences, Inc. The enemy is for real. They will attack. It's just a matter of when and where. The goal is now is to be prepared."

ImmuneRegen is focused on Homspera, which is a Substance P compound that can potentially reverse damage caused by exposure to acute radiation. In animal studies, ImmuneRegen has achieved positive results using Homspera to treat animal subjected to lethal levels of radiation exposure. The company continues to conduct its study in this area and has recently demonstrated a 50% survival rate in its fifth study, up from 25% in the prior study. A sixth study, as requested by the FDA, is underway to best determine administration.

The firm has also been requested by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to form a BioTerrorism Rapid Response Team to help assist local, federal and international officials deal with the possible threat of a biological terrorist attack,

Dr. Witten is currently available for comment on potential treatments for both chemical and biological attacks. He is qualified to provide in-depth commentary on the following issues:

Bioterrorism and nuclear preparedness strategy post 9/11

The effects of toxic radiation on the body

Can America defray a Chernobyl?

What Homspera is and how it works
Dr. Mark Witten has over 20 years of experience in the research field and over 200 peer-reviewed scientific publications. In 1990, he became Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, where he started his JP-8 inhalation toxicology research for the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research. This research, which focused on toxic inhalation and the resulting Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), segued into the current radiation research with the DoD. Radiation victims die because the radiation destroys their immune system and consequently they cannot fight bacterial infections or viruses.

Witten received his bachelors degree from Emporia State University in Kansas and his doctorate from Indiana University. He underwent post-doctoral training as a research associate in the Department of Physiology in the College of Medicine at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center.

To interview Dr. Witten, please contact Janet Vasquez or Mike at The Investor Relations Group 212-825-3210.

About ImmuneRegen BioSciences, Inc.
ImmuneRegen BioSciences, Inc, is a biotechnology company engaged in the research and development of applications utilizing modified Substance P, a naturally occurring immunomodulator. Derived from homeostatic substance P, the company has named their proprietary compound Homspera." The Companys initial focus in on the continuing development of Homspera for various applications for use in improving pulmonary function and stimulating the human immune system.

About Homspera
ImmuneRegens patents and continued substance P research are derived from discoveries made during research funded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research in the early 1990s. During this research, Dr. Witten and his associates observed that the exposure of animals to jet fuels resulted in pathological changes in the lung and immune systems of those exposed. It was also observed that such exposure resulted in depletion of substance P from the lungs of the animals. These studies further showed that the administration of substance P might help prevent and reverse the effects of jet fuel exposure in the lungs, as well as protect and regenerate the immune system. The immune findings led to early research on the treatment of exposure to acute radiation and on the possible reversal of lung damage caused by ARDS and cigarette smoke.
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