Pluristem Announces Scientific Advance in Stem Cell Research

Pluristem Life Systems, Inc. has announced that it has evidence that its PLX cells are immunosuppressive and immune privileged. These characteristics could lead to breakthroughs in the treatment of hematopoietic cancers and immune diseases.

PLX cells are mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) obtained from the placenta and expanded by using Pluristem’s proprietary 3D PluriX™ technology.

Immunosuppression is defined as the quality of a product to attenuate or suppress the effects of the immune system. Induced immunosuppression is generally practiced to prevent the body from rejecting an organ or bone marrow transplant or for the treatment of auto-immune diseases.

Pluristem believes their immunosuppressive PLX cells could have significant positive implications in the development of products for a variety of therapeutic needs: regenerative medicine, physiological diseases and immune diseases. Additionally, this immune modulating property could prove important in treating or preventing immune reactions associated with transplantation.

Ora Burger PhD. V.P. of R&D at Pluristem stated: "Our PLX cells showed immune suppression characteristics during in vitro testing using Mixed Lymphocyte Reaction assay (MLR). The immunosuppressive quality is an important attribute for our first product, PLX-I, in the treatment of hematological malignancies. Additionally, it has promising indications for other applications involving the immune system.”

William R. Prather RPh, MD, Sr. V.P. Corporate Development notes: “We now have evidence that our PLX cells are immunosuppressive as well as immune privileged. We believe these important characteristics underscore our belief that placenta-derived MSCs expanded three dimensionally in our PluriX™ bioreactor to become PLX cells are truly unique and may prove valuable in the treatment of a variety of degenerative, malignant and immune conditions.”