NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. (NasdaqCM:PSTI) (DAX:PJT), a bio-therapeutics company dedicated to the commercialization of non-personalized (allogeneic) cell therapy products for a variety of degenerative, ischemic and autoimmune indications, announced today that the Company’s product, PLX-BMT, is featured in the August issue of the peer-reviewed Journal Expert Opinion on Biological Therapy1. PLX-BMT utilizes the Company’s proprietary PLacental eXpanded (PLX) cells as an alternative to bone marrow transplantation (BMT). PLX cells are mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) obtained from human placenta and expanded using Pluristem’s proprietary 3D PluriX™ technology.

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The nine page article entitled “Placental-derived and expanded mesenchymal stromal cells (PLX-I) to enhance the engraftment of hematopoietic stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood” and authored by William R Prather RPh MD, Amir Toren PhD & Moran Meiron PhD of Pluristem contains the following abstract:

“For the past 40 years, bone marrow transplantation (BMT) has become standard therapy to re-establish marrow function in patients with damaged or defective bone marrow. A human leukocyte antigen-matched sibling is the donor of choice for patients needing transplantation of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). As most patients do not have an acceptable matched, related donor, the National Marrow Donor Program has been established to match volunteer bone marrow donors with potential recipients who require BMT. Although transplantation of HSCs from an unrelated donor can be an effective therapy for a variety of malignant and non-malignant diseases, it remains complicated because of treatment-related morbidity and mortality, which has led to the investigation of alternative sources of HSCs such as umbilical cord blood (UCB). This review highlights the advantages and disadvantages of UCB and recent developments that address its disadvantages. This includes the use of a placenta-expanded mesenchymal stromal cell product (PLX-I) being developed by Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. and our opinion about the potential of this product.”

PLX-I is currently named PLX-BMT.

Zami Aberman, Pluristem’s President and CEO, said: “We are pleased that our PLX-BMT product has been chosen to be showcased in this prestigious peer-reviewed journal. Pluristem believes the acceptance of this article by the scientific and medical communities lends tremendous credibility to our technology of transforming the miracle of birth into therapeutics for all and its potential to benefit thousands of patients annually.”

About the Journal Expert Opinion on Biological Therapy

Published by Informa Healthcare (publisher of Scrip, Biotechniques and the Taylor & Francis journals), the Expert Opinion on Biological Therapy is an essential source of peer-reviewed articles focusing on emerging biotherapeutic drugs and technologies.

Through systematic review and evaluation, Expert Opinion on Biological Therapy covers all aspects of biological therapy, from therapeutic peptides and proteins to gene transfer technologies and drug delivery systems, placing new advances in the context of current therapeutic practice and providing an expert opinion on the scope for future development.

About Pluristem

Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. is a bio-therapeutics company dedicated to the commercialization of non-personalized (allogeneic) cell therapy products for the treatment of several severe degenerative, ischemic and autoimmune disorders. The Company is developing a pipeline of products, stored ready-to-use, that are derived from human placenta, a non-controversial, non-embryonic, adult stem cell source.

These placental mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are expanded in the Company's proprietary PluriXTM 3D bioreactor, which imitates the natural microstructure of bone marrow and does not require supplemental growth factors or other exogenous materials. Pluristem believes that the resultant PLX (PLacental eXpanded) cells are multi-potent and able to differentiate into a variety of cell types. Recent evidence also suggests their efficacy may be related to the secretion of cytokines or other potent immune modulators. Furthermore, PLX cells are immune privileged and have immunomodulatory properties, thus protecting the recipient from immunological reactions that often accompany transplantations.