CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY - USD ($)	Preferred Shares [Member]	Common Shares [Member]	Treasury Shares [Member]	Contributed Capital [Member]	Accumulated Deficit [Member]	Non-controlling Interest [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income/(Loss) [Member]	Total
BALANCE at Dec. 31, 2012	$ 0	$ 119,821,000	$ (8,375,000)	$ 94,000	$ (101,896,000)	$ 14,710,000	$ (60,000)	$ 24,294,000
BALANCE (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2012	0	51,183,000	(1,800,000)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Common shares issued as part of investment in subsidiary		$ 38,485,000	$ (38,485,000)					0
Common shares issued as part of investment in subsidiary (in shares)		9,809,000	(9,809,000)
8,000,000 Warrants issued as part of investment in subsidiary		$ 18,276,000						18,276,000
Sale of common shares, net of fees paid and amortized and syndication costs		$ 22,297,000						22,297,000
Sale of common shares, net of fees paid and amortized and syndication costs (in shares)		6,284,000
Warrants issued to outside investors		$ 1,849,000						1,849,000
Common shares issued for rent		$ 254,000						254,000
Common shares issued for rent (in shares)		74,000
Common shares issued for consulting services		$ 173,000						173,000
Common shares issued for consulting services (in shares)		42,000
Exercise of options		$ 46,000						46,000
Exercise of options (in shares)		20,000
Shares retired as payment for exercise of options								0
Stock options granted for compensation		$ 2,144,000						2,144,000
Stock options granted for compensation in subsidiaries		111,000				790,000		901,000
Sale of treasury stock			$ 3,826,000					3,826,000
Sale of treasury stock (in shares)			911,000
Dividends on preferred stock								0
Outside investment in OncoCyte and Cell Cure Neurosciences						5,256,000		5,256,000
Outside investment in subsidiary with assets						15,733,000		15,733,000
Foreign currency translation gain (loss)							119,000	119,000
Unrealized (loss) gain on available-for-sale securities							3,000	3,000
NET LOSS					(43,882,000)	(9,028,000)		(52,910,000)
BALANCE at Dec. 31, 2013	$ 0	$ 203,456,000	$ (43,034,000)	94,000	(145,778,000)	27,461,000	62,000	42,262,000
BALANCE (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2013	0	67,412,000	(10,698,000)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Sale of common shares, net of fees paid and amortized and syndication costs		$ 43,827,000						43,827,000
Sale of common shares, net of fees paid and amortized and syndication costs (in shares)		14,173,000
Common shares issued for rent								0
Common shares issued for consulting services								0
Exercise of options		$ 1,192,000						1,192,000
Exercise of options (in shares)		2,060,000
Shares retired as payment for exercise of options		$ (973,000)						(973,000)
Shares retired as part of exercise of options (in shares)		(367,000)
Shares retired to pay for employee's taxes		$ (415,000)						(415,000)
Shares retired to pay for employee's taxes (in shares)		(156,000)
Tax liability on treasury shares sold by Asterias		$ (3,611,000)						(3,611,000)
Stock options granted for compensation		2,409,000						2,409,000
Stock options granted for compensation in subsidiaries						1,808,000		1,808,000
Restricted stock granted for compensation						234,000		234,000
Susidiary warrants issued to outside investors as part of sale of treasury stock						3,184,000		3,184,000
Sale of treasury stock		(11,042,000)	$ 23,144,000					12,102,000
Sale of treasury stock (in shares)			5,804,000
Sale of preferred stock	$ 3,500,000							3,500,000
Sale of preferred stock (in shares)	70,000
Dividends on preferred stock				(87,000)				(87,000)
Exercise of subsidiary options						8,000		8,000
Outside investment in OncoCyte and Cell Cure Neurosciences						939,000		939,000
Foreign currency translation gain (loss)							125,000	125,000
Unrealized (loss) gain on available-for-sale securities							(2,000)	(2,000)
NET LOSS					(36,412,000)	(7,367,000)		(43,779,000)
BALANCE at Dec. 31, 2014	$ 3,500,000	$ 234,843,000	$ (19,890,000)	7,000	(182,190,000)	26,267,000	186,000	$ 62,723,000
BALANCE (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2014	70,000	83,122,000	(4,894,000)					78,227,756
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Sale of common shares, net of fees paid and amortized and syndication costs		$ 33,897,000						$ 33,897,000
Sale of common shares, net of fees paid and amortized and syndication costs (in shares)		10,738,000
Common shares issued for rent								0
Common shares issued for consulting services								0
Exercise of options		$ 621,000						621,000
Exercise of options (in shares)		155,000
Shares retired as payment for exercise of options								0
Warrants exercised		$ 19,000						19,000
Warrants exercised (in shares)		4,000
Contingently issuable subsidiary warrants						65,000		65,000
Stock options granted for compensation		$ 2,003,000						2,003,000
Stock options granted for compensation in subsidiaries						8,223,000		8,223,000
Restricted stock granted for compensation						822,000		822,000
Dividend in kind					(712,000)	712,000
Subsidiary shares retired to pay for employee's taxes						(98,000)		(98,000)
Subsidiary warrants exercised						11,700,000		11,700,000
Sale of treasury stock		(496,000)	$ 1,857,000					1,361,000
Sale of treasury stock (in shares)			421,000
Conversion of preferred stock to common stock	$ (3,500,000)	$ 3,500,000						0
Conversion of preferred stock to common stock (in shares)	(70,000)	875,000
Dividends on preferred stock		$ (45,000)		(7,000)				(415,000)
Exercise of subsidiary options						33,000		33,000
Subsidiary shares issued in lieu of cash for services received						486,000		486,000
Outside investment in OncoCyte and Cell Cure Neurosciences						3,555,000		3,555,000
Sale of subsidiary shares at- the- market, net of fees paid and amortized						9,646,000		9,646,000
Foreign currency translation gain (loss)							(424,000)	(424,000)
Unrealized (loss) gain on available-for-sale securities							1,000	1,000
NET LOSS					(45,916,000)	(11,855,000)		(58,134,000)
BALANCE at Dec. 31, 2015	$ 0	$ 274,342,000	$ (18,033,000)	$ 0	$ (229,181,000)	$ 49,556,000	$ (237,000)	$ 76,447,000
BALANCE (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2015	0	94,894,000	(4,473,000)					90,421,554