TEL AVIV, Israel, March 07, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cellect Biomed Ltd. (TASE:CLBD), a developer of innovative technology which enables the functional selection of stem cells, announces today it has received IRB approval (Helsinki Committee) from Rambam Hospital to conduct its first trial in leukemia patients. The trial will be conducted in the bone marrow transplantation (“BMT”) unit and led by Clinical Assistant Professor Zila Zuckerman, the Director of the unit.
The trial is a first of its kind in leukemia patients in need of bone marrow transplantation. The BMT process will be performed in the leukemia patients using Cellect's cell selection technology, "Cellect InsideTM".
The cell selection process, performed by the Company in the graft intended for transplantation, is designed to prevent severe adverse effects resulting from mature cells, including death. These adverse effects occur due to a collision between the different donor's and recipient's immune systems. Cellect's technology enables controlled destruction of those mature immune system cells, thereby preventing the adverse effects.
This game-changing approach constitutes a worldwide breakthrough in the ability to cause selective destruction of mature cell populations, thus offering an improvement of all applications in the BMT field.
Cellect arrives at the in-human clinical trial stage following both extensive pre-clinical studies conducted using its proprietary technology and calibration tests performed with the local Helsinki Committee's approval.
Dr. Shai Yarkoni, Cellect's CEO, said, "After comprehensive preparations, which included extensive pre-clinical trials, we welcome the IRB approval granted by the hospital. We intend to complete the last preparations required for the trial soon."
The trial will commence subject to the Ministry of Health's approval, which is expected in the near future.
About Cellect
Cellect develops an innovative technology which enables the functional selection of stem cells based on their sensitivity to apoptosis. This functional-based selection is an international breakthrough in the ability to isolate stem cells from mature cells, thereby improving a variety of stem cells applications.
The company’s first product line will include unique containers for cell selection in an apoptosis-inducing microenvironment. Cellect has proved in extensive lab studies that the use of apoptosis can largely increase the stem cell concentration in samples taken from bone marrow donors, as well as umbilical cord blood. The first commercial product of the company is a medical kit designed for the cancer treatment bone marrow transplantations market, as well as other markets which require cell selection. The company estimates that in the future its technology will be integrated in many production procedures of stem cell-based product.
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