For Immediate Release

SELECT TRIAL used Selenomethionine Instead of High-Selenium Yeast, SelenoExcell®. Previous Research has shown SelenoExcell® Supplementation to reduce Lung, Colon and Prostate Cancers by as much as 63%.

See Related Website at www.cypsystems.com

Fresno, Calif. October 29, 2008 - Cypress Systems, Inc, a Fresno CA based biotechnology company, emphasizes that the SELECT TRIAL results- that were announced yesterday- used a form of selenium known as selenomethionine. The SELECT TRIAL found no effects of either selenomethionine or vitamin E on the incidence of prostate cancer.

The results of the SELECT TRIAL are consistent with previous animal studies. For example, Dr. David McCormick at the Experimental Toxicology and Carcinogenesis Division, IIT Research Institute in Chicago found no effects with selenomethionine supplementation on the prevention of prostate cancer in rats (Eur Urol 1999;35:464-467).

Such negative findings have not been observed for other forms of selenium. For example, research at Purdue University found SelenoExcell® High-Selenium Yeast to be more effective than selenomethionine in the reducing DNA damage in canine prostate cells (Waters et al, J. Natl Cancer Inst (2003); 95:237-240). Researchers at the University of Arizona and Cornell University reported in the Journal of American Medical Association (Clark et al, JAMA, Dec. 25, 1996-vol. 276, No.24). ) that regular use of 200 micrograms per day of selenium in the form of SelenoExcell® reduced the incidences of lung, colon, and prostate cancers by 50-63 %. Researchers at the Penn State University Cancer Institute found that supplementation with SelenoExcell®, reduced serum PSA levels, a risk indicator for prostate cancer (El-Bayoumy et al, Cancer Epidemiology Vol. 11, 1459-1465, Nov., 2002). References to these and other studies can be found at the website, www.cypsystems.com , under the research matrix "Cancer" section of the home page.

Paul A. Willis, CEO & President of Cypress Systems, Inc. stated that "Clearly we believe that the SELECT TRIAL should have included the standardized high-selenium yeast, which has been found effective in reducing cancer risk in animal studies and human clinical trials". In 1998, Cypress signed a Clinical Trial Agreement (CTA) with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in order to reconfirm previous clinical results. High-selenium yeast is different from selenomethionine. It contains several different forms of organically-bound selenium in addition to selenomethionine. According to Dr. Mark Whitacre, Cypress Systems’ COO, "We suspect that the advantage of SelenoExcell® High-Selenium Yeast lies in its content of multiple forms of selenium, including some that are more direct acting in anti-carcinogenesis."

The most likely reason that high-selenium yeast was more effective for cancer prevention is due to other forms of selenium (Se) compounds exist in high-selenium yeast other than selenomethionine (SeMet). For example, high-selenium yeast contains multiple selenium forms such as selenomethionine, selenocysteine, and several other selenium compounds, all organically bound.

One other scientific possibility, but less likely than above, is that free-SeMet not being used like protein-bound SeMet. For example, free-SeMet may be more susceptible to oxidation (which then converts to selenomethionine selenoxide) than it is within a protein, due to some sort of protection due to the tertiary-folding of the protein itself. We know that SeMet is more sensitive to oxidation than its S-analogue; when it is oxidized, the C-S bonds may disrupt, causing Se to fall out. By this way, the oxidation of SeMet would reduce its bioavailability. A recent review was written by Dr. G. F. Combs, Jr.

It may be that this oxidation - and possible reduced bioavailability - happens faster outside of the protein environment. Other support for this hypothesis is a study performed by Dr. Graham Lyons in Australia: he found the addition of SeMet to bread flour did not increase the bioavailable Se in bread, whereas the addition of high-Se (Australian) wheat did produce such an increase.

Additional scientific details and research support on this topic are available in the document listed below: