Pluristem Files Patent Application for PLX-1

Pluristem Life Systems, Inc. has announced that a patent application has been filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office for its stem cell therapy product known as PLX-1.

PLX-1 is intended to offer a breakthrough solution to improved engraftment during bone marrow transplant procedures that use umbilical cord blood (UCB).

PLX-1, which consists of propagated (adjuvant engineered) mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) that can be co-transplanted along with the hematopoietic stem cells (HSC), is expected to improve the engraftment rate of the HSCs.

The role of PLX-1 is to improve the homing of hematopoietic stem cells and their lodgment into the patient hematopoietic niche using engineered mesenchymal cells.

This technology is based on using Pluristem's ex vivo expanded Engineered Mesenchymal Cells (EMC) that are expanded within the proprietary PluriX™ high density 3-D cultures system.

The EMC cells are expanded to achieve the quality and amount required for improving HSC and progenitor cell repopulation, and to enhance bone marrow engraftment following stem cell transplantation.

Mr. Zami Aberman, CEO, stated, "PLX-1 represents the broadening of Pluristem's previously granted patents and pending patents that have already revolutionized HSC expansion through the use of Pluristem's unique 'human-like' bone marrow micro-environment."

"Until now the field of bone marrow transplantation has been limited to procedures and technologies that expand hematopoietic stem cells only."

"PLX-1's novel approach creates a new playing field in which cells of mesenchymal origin play a central role."

"As such, PLX-I could become a mandatory adjuvant therapy to any methodology used in bone marrow transplants, either through standard clinical transplantation of cord blood or through the use of manipulated HSCs."

"This opens the door for Pluristem to reach an annual market of approximately 100,000 clinical procedures."