Placenta-derived cells may improve recovery after HSCT

Lab mouse

Cells derived from placenta can increase blood counts after hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT), preclinical research suggests.

Investigators evaluated PLX-R18, a product consisting of mesenchymal-like adherent stromal cells derived from full-term human placentas, in mice undergoing HSCT.

Mice that received PLX-R18 in conjunction with HSCT had significantly faster hematopoietic recovery than mice that received placebo with their transplants.

Pluristem Therapeutics, Inc., the company developing PLX-R18, recently announced these results.

The study included 78 irradiated mice divided into 4 groups. One group received a transplant of 4 million HSCs plus an intra-muscular (IM) injection of 1 million PLX-R18 cells on days 1 and 10. A second group received 8 million HSCs plus an IM injection of 1 million PLX-R18 cells on days 1 and 10.

The first control group received 4 million HSCs plus an IM injection of placebo on days 1 and 10. And the second control group received 8 million HSCs plus an IM injection of placebo on days 1 and 10.

The investigators performed complete blood counts on day 9 after HSCT and the first dose of PLX-R18 or placebo, on day 16 after the second dose of PLX-R18 or placebo, and on day 23.

Nine days after transplantation with a low dose of HSCs (4 million) and concurrent administration of either PLX-R18 or placebo, mice treated with PLX-R18 had statistically significant increases in platelets and granulocytes when compared to controls (P=0.0059 and P=0.0267, respectively).

PLX-R18-treated mice also had more lymphocytes and total white blood cells, but these increases were not statistically significant.

Nine days after transplantation with a high dose of HSCs (8 million) and concurrent administration of either PLX-R18 or placebo, mice treated with PLX-R18 had statistically significant increases in platelet levels (P=0.0015).

One week later, at 16 days after a low-dose HSCT, mice treated with PLX-R18 had more platelets than controls, although the difference wasn’t significant.

Also on day 16, mice treated with PLX-R18 and a high dose of HSCs had statistically significant increases in platelets, granulocytes, and total white blood cells compared to controls (P=0.0053, P=0.0122, and P=0.0262 respectively).

On day 23, there were no significant differences in the number of cells between the treatment groups.

Taking these results together, the investigators concluded that PLX-R18 cells can significantly accelerate the recovery of several components of normal blood counts.

“A statistically significant increase in blood counts soon after bone marrow transplant is very meaningful,” said Reuven Or, MD, of Hadassah Medical Center in Haifa, Israel.

“We were particularly encouraged to see that the administration of PLX-R18 cells resulted in the greatest early improvement when using a lower dose of bone marrow cells. This means we could one day potentially achieve success with lower bone marrow transplant doses, thus addressing both treatment costs and donor availability.”

Lab mouse

Cells derived from placenta can increase blood counts after hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT), preclinical research suggests.

Investigators evaluated PLX-R18, a product consisting of mesenchymal-like adherent stromal cells derived from full-term human placentas, in mice undergoing HSCT.

Mice that received PLX-R18 in conjunction with HSCT had significantly faster hematopoietic recovery than mice that received placebo with their transplants.

Pluristem Therapeutics, Inc., the company developing PLX-R18, recently announced these results.

The study included 78 irradiated mice divided into 4 groups. One group received a transplant of 4 million HSCs plus an intra-muscular (IM) injection of 1 million PLX-R18 cells on days 1 and 10. A second group received 8 million HSCs plus an IM injection of 1 million PLX-R18 cells on days 1 and 10.

The first control group received 4 million HSCs plus an IM injection of placebo on days 1 and 10. And the second control group received 8 million HSCs plus an IM injection of placebo on days 1 and 10.

The investigators performed complete blood counts on day 9 after HSCT and the first dose of PLX-R18 or placebo, on day 16 after the second dose of PLX-R18 or placebo, and on day 23.

Nine days after transplantation with a low dose of HSCs (4 million) and concurrent administration of either PLX-R18 or placebo, mice treated with PLX-R18 had statistically significant increases in platelets and granulocytes when compared to controls (P=0.0059 and P=0.0267, respectively).

PLX-R18-treated mice also had more lymphocytes and total white blood cells, but these increases were not statistically significant.

Nine days after transplantation with a high dose of HSCs (8 million) and concurrent administration of either PLX-R18 or placebo, mice treated with PLX-R18 had statistically significant increases in platelet levels (P=0.0015).

One week later, at 16 days after a low-dose HSCT, mice treated with PLX-R18 had more platelets than controls, although the difference wasn’t significant.

Also on day 16, mice treated with PLX-R18 and a high dose of HSCs had statistically significant increases in platelets, granulocytes, and total white blood cells compared to controls (P=0.0053, P=0.0122, and P=0.0262 respectively).

On day 23, there were no significant differences in the number of cells between the treatment groups.

Taking these results together, the investigators concluded that PLX-R18 cells can significantly accelerate the recovery of several components of normal blood counts.

“A statistically significant increase in blood counts soon after bone marrow transplant is very meaningful,” said Reuven Or, MD, of Hadassah Medical Center in Haifa, Israel.

“We were particularly encouraged to see that the administration of PLX-R18 cells resulted in the greatest early improvement when using a lower dose of bone marrow cells. This means we could one day potentially achieve success with lower bone marrow transplant doses, thus addressing both treatment costs and donor availability.”

Lab mouse

Cells derived from placenta can increase blood counts after hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT), preclinical research suggests.

Investigators evaluated PLX-R18, a product consisting of mesenchymal-like adherent stromal cells derived from full-term human placentas, in mice undergoing HSCT.

Mice that received PLX-R18 in conjunction with HSCT had significantly faster hematopoietic recovery than mice that received placebo with their transplants.

Pluristem Therapeutics, Inc., the company developing PLX-R18, recently announced these results.

The study included 78 irradiated mice divided into 4 groups. One group received a transplant of 4 million HSCs plus an intra-muscular (IM) injection of 1 million PLX-R18 cells on days 1 and 10. A second group received 8 million HSCs plus an IM injection of 1 million PLX-R18 cells on days 1 and 10.

The first control group received 4 million HSCs plus an IM injection of placebo on days 1 and 10. And the second control group received 8 million HSCs plus an IM injection of placebo on days 1 and 10.

The investigators performed complete blood counts on day 9 after HSCT and the first dose of PLX-R18 or placebo, on day 16 after the second dose of PLX-R18 or placebo, and on day 23.

Nine days after transplantation with a low dose of HSCs (4 million) and concurrent administration of either PLX-R18 or placebo, mice treated with PLX-R18 had statistically significant increases in platelets and granulocytes when compared to controls (P=0.0059 and P=0.0267, respectively).

PLX-R18-treated mice also had more lymphocytes and total white blood cells, but these increases were not statistically significant.

Nine days after transplantation with a high dose of HSCs (8 million) and concurrent administration of either PLX-R18 or placebo, mice treated with PLX-R18 had statistically significant increases in platelet levels (P=0.0015).

One week later, at 16 days after a low-dose HSCT, mice treated with PLX-R18 had more platelets than controls, although the difference wasn’t significant.

Also on day 16, mice treated with PLX-R18 and a high dose of HSCs had statistically significant increases in platelets, granulocytes, and total white blood cells compared to controls (P=0.0053, P=0.0122, and P=0.0262 respectively).

On day 23, there were no significant differences in the number of cells between the treatment groups.

Taking these results together, the investigators concluded that PLX-R18 cells can significantly accelerate the recovery of several components of normal blood counts.

“A statistically significant increase in blood counts soon after bone marrow transplant is very meaningful,” said Reuven Or, MD, of Hadassah Medical Center in Haifa, Israel.

“We were particularly encouraged to see that the administration of PLX-R18 cells resulted in the greatest early improvement when using a lower dose of bone marrow cells. This means we could one day potentially achieve success with lower bone marrow transplant doses, thus addressing both treatment costs and donor availability.”