Harold C. Urschel, Jr., M.D. Joins Aastrom Biosciences' Board of Directors

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Oct. 20, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aastrom Biosciences, Inc.
(Nasdaq:ASTM), a leading developer of autologous cell products for the treatment
of chronic cardiovascular diseases, today announced that Harold C. Urschel, Jr.,
M.D., has been elected to the Company's Board of Directors.

Dr. Urschel is currently Chair of Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgical Research,
Education & Clinical Excellence at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas,
Texas. He is also a Professor of Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery at the
University of Texas, Southwestern Medical School. He has been a Visiting
Professor at a number of medical centers in the U.S. and abroad, and is an
honorary member of the Thoracic Surgery faculty of the University of Toronto and
the Harvard Medical School. Dr. Urschel has been President of several major
medical and surgical societies, including the Society of Thoracic Surgeons,
American College of Chest Physicians, International Academy of Chest Physicians,
Southern Thoracic Surgical Association, and the Texas Surgical Society. In
addition, Dr. Urschel served on the Board of Directors of Electronic Data
Systems from inception until it was acquired by General Motors.

"With our focus on cardiovascular indications, Dr. Urschel brings essential
knowledge and expertise to our Board of Directors," said Nelson M. Sims,
Chairman of Aastrom's Board of Directors. "His distinguished career as a
cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon and his experience serving on the Board of a
technology company makes him a perfect addition to our Board at this critical
stage in Aastrom's development."

Dr. Urschel received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Princeton University (cum
laude) and an M.D. from Harvard Medical School (cum laude). He trained in
cardiac surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, and has served as Chief of
Experimental Surgery for the U.S. Navy, Consultant to the Atomic Energy
Commission, NASA, and the Surgeon General of the U.S. Air Force. As Chairman of
the Residency Review Committee for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery he established
standards for training heart surgeons in the U.S. and on the American Board of
Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, which examines trainees before they enter
practice. As a founding Member of the U.S. Heart Surgeons, Dr. Urschel was
recognized as one of the 100 best cardiac surgeons in the U.S. Honorary Degrees
have been awarded to Dr. Urschel as a Doctor of Law (Pikeville College) and a
Doctor of Science (Ohio State University (BGSU)).

Upon his election to Aastrom's Board, Dr. Urschel commented, "I am extremely
pleased to join Aastrom's Board, and look forward to working with other members
of the Board and the management team because I believe Aastrom is leading the
development of cell therapy for regenerative medicine. It is exciting to be a
part of the development of cell therapies for the treatment of patients
suffering from chronic cardiovascular diseases. The team at Aastrom has a vision
of excellence. When I think of excellence, I am reminded of a quote a good
friend shared with me many years ago. 'Excellence results from: caring more than
others think wise, dreaming more than others think is practical, risking more
than others think is safe, and expecting more than others think is possible.'"

In addition to being immediately elected to Aastrom's Board of Directors, Dr.
Urschel will also be added to the list of nominees standing for re-election at
the 2009 Annual Meeting of Shareholders on December 14, 2009.

Additional Information

The foregoing is not a solicitation of any proxy and shall not constitute an
offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities of Aastrom.
For more information regarding Aastrom, please refer to Aastrom's preliminary
proxy statement in connection with its 2009 Annual Meeting of Shareholders,
which was filed with the SEC on October 8, 2009 and is available free of charge
on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Aastrom plans to file with the SEC and mail
to its shareholders a definitive proxy statement in connection with its 2009
Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Investors and security holders are urged to read
the definitive proxy statement relating to the 2009 Annual Meeting of
Shareholders and any other relevant documents filed with the SEC when they
become available, because they will contain important information. Investors and
security holders may obtain a free copy of the definitive proxy statement and
other documents (when available) that Aastrom files with the SEC at the SEC's
website at www.sec.gov. In addition, the definitive proxy statements and other
documents filed by Aastrom with the SEC may be obtained from Aastrom free of
charge by directing a request via mail to the Investor Relations Department,
Aastrom Biosciences, P.O. Box 376, Ann Arbor, MI 48106, or via email to
mail@aastrom.com.

About Aastrom Biosciences, Inc.

Aastrom is a leader in regenerative medicine developing autologous cell products
for the treatment of chronic cardiovascular diseases. The Company's proprietary
Tissue Repair Cell (TRC) technology expands the numbers of stem and early
progenitor cells from a small amount of bone marrow collected from the patient.
Bone marrow provides a rich source of diverse cell populations, is easily
accessible and allows Aastrom to produce a personalized treatment for
site-specific delivery to the patient's diseased tissues. Aastrom has treated
more than 350 patients in various clinical trials over 10 years without any
product safety issues. The Company is currently conducting a Phase II cardiac
regeneration clinical trial (the IMPACT-DCM trial) in patients with dilated
cardiomyopathy (DCM - severe chronic heart failure) and a Phase IIb vascular
regeneration clinical trial (the RESTORE-CLI trial) in patients with critical
limb ischemia (CLI - the most severe form of peripheral arterial disease).

The Aastrom Biosciences, Inc. logo is available at
http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=3663

For more information, visit Aastrom's website at www.aastrom.com.

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, adequacy
of existing capital to support operations for a specified time, future capital
needs, and potential advantages and application of Tissue Repair Cell (TRC)
Technology, 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 and other
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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(734) 930-5777

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