Provectus Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that the company has initiated a new sponsored research program with Kelly Tseng, PhD, Associate Professor of Pathology and Lab Medicine, School of Life Sciences at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) to characterize the effects of Provectus' pharmaceutical-grade rose bengal sodium (RBS) on vertebrate tissue regeneration and repair. RBS is the lead member of a class of small molecules called halogenated xanthenes that is entirely owned by Provectus. The Tseng Lab at UNLV will assess the effects of RBS on animal development and tissue repair using the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis), an established vertebrate model organism, and in vivo assays to evaluate key biological processes: embryo development, wound healing, and tissue regeneration.

Dr. Tseng is an expert in tissue regeneration and a leader in the regenerative biology and bioelectrical signaling fields. Her research group at UNLV seeks to elucidate the mechanisms of complex tissue regeneration in vertebrates using the highly regenerative clawed frog, with the goal of applying this knowledge to therapeutic strategies. Dr. Tseng has identified key factors that control limb and eye regeneration, and has also established a new model for studying embryonic eye stem cells.