Pluristem Announces MOU to Collaborate With Fukushima Medical University to Study PLX-R18 in Acute Radiation Syndrome

Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. PSTI today announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for a collaboration with Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima Global Medical Science Center. The purpose of the collaboration is to develop Pluristem's PLX-R18 cells for the treatment of Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS), and for morbidities following radiotherapy in cancer patients. ARS is caused by exposure to dangerously high levels of radiation, such as could occur in a nuclear catastrophe, and incorporates potentially lethal damage to the gastrointestinal tract, lung, skin and bone marrow, as well as other systems. In this new collaboration PLX-R18 cells will be studied primarily as a potential treatment for radiation-induced damage to the skin, lungs and gastrointestinal tract. The parties intend to develop preclinical models of radiation damage in these tissues, and then use them in trials. Pluristem will contribute PLX-R18 cells and scientific knowledge, while Fukushima Medical University will conduct the studies, and provide the required resources.The collaboration will proceed alongside research supported by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is studying PLX-R18 as a potential treatment for the hematologic See full press release