HAIFA, ISRAEL, May 15, 2012 -- Pluristem Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQCM:PSTI; TASE: PLTR) today announced that cardiac function in a diabetic-induced diastolic dysfunction in animals improved following PLacental eXpanded (PLX cells) administration. The study was conducted as part of the European Commission’s Seventh Framework Program (FP7) in collaboration with Professor Doctor Carsten Tschöpe and his staff at the Charite Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Berlin-Bradenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies (BCRT), Berlin, Germany. Dr. Tschöpe is also a member of the Translational Research Committee of the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology.

“Currently, there are limited treatment options for diastolic dysfunction and even fewer options for diabetic induced diastolic dysfunction," said Dr. Tschöpe. “This study holds promise that PLX cells might be able to inhibit diabetic induced diastolic dysfunction progression as well as possibly repair the existing damage, hypotheses that will be further explored in future studies.”

Diabetes was induced in thirty-six C57b/6 mice, which resulted in the development of diastolic heart failure. After seven days, the animals received either PLX cells from two separate batches or placebo (12 subjects in each of the three groups). Ten mice were not treated (controls).

After twenty-one days, several cardiac parameters were assessed and found to be significantly improved following the treatment with PLX cells. Important measurements included the cardiac ejection fraction and the left ventricular (LV) relaxation time constant, believed to be the best index of LV diastolic function and a determination of the stiffness of the ventricle. Cardiac ejection fraction improved 19%, the left ventricular (LV) relaxation time constant decreased 16% and the stiffness of the ventricle decreased 19%.

Additionally, the administration of either batch of PLX cells resulted in a significant anti-inflammatory effect, documented by findings including a significant down regulation of the left ventricular vascular cell adhesion inflammatory mediator-1 (LV VCAM-1) and a significant up regulation of the left ventricular interleukin-10 anti-inflammatory mediator (LV IL-10).

“As we demonstrated last week with the announcement that our cells successfully treated the seven years old patient suffering from aplastic bone marrow disease, our strategy is to develop a minimally invasive cell therapy solution that can be used to treat a wide range of life-threatening diseases," said Zami Aberman, Chairman and CEO of Pluristem. “Our initial testing of a treatment for diastolic heart disease opens a new potential indication where our cells can be used and potentially positions Pluristem as a "first-line of defense" for diastolic dysfunction. Based on these studies as well as the previously announced acute myocardial infarction data, and with the support of the European Commission’s Seventh Framework Program, we were able to determine that our PLX cells can become an important treatment for various cardiac indications and we look forward to quickly moving from these initial studies towards human trials.”