Science journal cites Pluristem PLX cell research for cancer patients
There is new hope for patients suffering from various lines of cancer, according to a peer-reviewed article published on Friday in the journal Scientific Reports, from the publisher of Nature.
According to the article, placenta-derived PLX cells exhibit a strong inhibitory effect on various lines of breast, colorectal, kidney, liver, lung, muscle and skin cancers. The research was conducted over more than two years by Pluristem Therapeutics Inc., a Haifa-based biotechnology company.
This knowledge might be used in the future for screening patients’ tumors to identify those patients most likely to show a positive response to treatment with PLX cells, according to the article.
“We believe the findings show promise for the utilization of our induced PLX cells in slowing and reversing the growth of cancer cells, particularly for some cancers that don’t have viable treatment options,” said Zami Aberman, Pluristem chairman and co-CEO.
Over the last 10 years, Pluristem has reported robust clinical data in multiple indications for its patented PLX cells, and it is entering latestage trials in several indications. The PLX cell products release a range of therapeutic proteins in response to inflammation, stopped-up blood vessels (ischemia), muscle trauma, blood disorders and radiation damage. Pluristem’s cells can be administered off-the-shelf without tissue matching.
Based on this recent research, Pluristem conducted an additional pre-clinical study of female mice induced with human triple negative breast cancer, commonly known as TNBC. This form of breast cancer does not respond to standard hormonal therapy and is instead treated with a combination of surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. The prognosis for patients with TNBC is poor.
The new study showed that weekly intramuscular injections of induced PLX cells reduced the size of the tumors, and in 30% of the treated mice led to complete tumor remission.
Aberman said these findings may open new possibilities in the field of oncology to treat solid tumors, and may also offer new paths to help millions of patients around the world.
Cancer is a leading cause of death around the world and its incidence continues to rise. Each year around 12.7 million people discover they have cancer and 7.6 million people die from the disease, according to research released by the American Institute for Cancer Research.
“As in immunotherapy technology, PLX cells communicate with the body and secrete biological components that enhance regeneration processes and support the body in fighting cancer cells,” Aberman said.
This article was written in cooperation with Pluristem Theraputics.