SUNNYVALE, Calif. , Oct. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Amarantus BioSciences, Inc. (OTCQB: AMBS), a biotechnology company developing new treatments for brain-related disorders including Parkinson's disease and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) centered on its unique proprietary anti-apoptotic therapeutic protein known as MANF, today announced the commitment by former Minnesota Vikings Pro Bowl linebacker E.J. Henderson to support the further development of Amarantus' TBI research collaboration with Banyan Biomarkers . Mr. Henderson will be working alongside NFL veterans Jack Brewer and Corey Chavous to raise awareness and broaden the support base for the Amarantus-Banyan research collaboration by utilizing the Coalition for Concussion Treatment (#C4CT) awareness campaign on Twitter, led by Brewer Sports International .

"Concussions and their long-term side effects are a huge problem for NFL players and alumni," said Mr. Henderson. "I have been following Amarantus since they announced their collaboration with Banyan last November, and I was impressed with the initial success achieved this summer. As a result, I've decided to become actively involved with Amarantus in order to help bring their research to the forefront in the mainstream media. I believe these types of advances in scientific research can ultimately help current NFL players and NFL alumni who are at an unusually high risk of developing long-term side effects from multiple concussions."

ESPN reported in June that NFL players were at an unusually high risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease due to the traumatic impact of multiple concussions and sub-concussive hits. Former NFL players such as Messrs. Henderson, Brewer and Chavous have become significantly more active in seeking solutions to these chronic problems by looking to pool NFL players' collective influence to help research potential medical treatments