Stem Cell Research : BrainStorm to Initiate Study for Multiple Sclerosis at Hadassah Medical Center

NEW YORK & PETACH TIKVAH, Israel--(BUSINESS WIRE)--October 15, 2013-- 

BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics (OTCQB: BCLI), a leading developer of adult stem cell technologies for neurodegenerative diseases, today announced that it will initiate a pre-clinical study for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) at the Hebrew University Hadassah Medical Center’s SPF-grade animal laboratory in Jerusalem. The study was approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) of the Hebrew University.

Based on promising pre-clinical data published by the Company’s Chief Scientist, Prof. Daniel Offen of Tel Aviv University, BrainStorm will conduct further studies using the Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis (EAE) animal model to evaluate MS as an additional indication for its NurOwn technology. Professor Dimitrios Karussis and Dr. Ibrahim Kassis, who have published extensively on pre-clinical research using the EAE model, will be the Principal Investigators of the study.

Prof. Karussis, a Key Opinion Leader in the field of MS, is Head of the multi-disciplinary MS Clinic and Center at Hadassah, member of the European Steering Committee for Bone Marrow Transplantation in MS, member of the Executive Board and Scientific Committee of the European School of Neuroimmunology (ESNI), and former board member of the European Council and Committee for Treatment and Research in MS. He has been the Principal Investigator of several multi-national clinical trials in MS conducted by global pharmaceutical companies.

About NurOwn(TM)

NurOwn is an autologous, adult stem cell therapy technology that induces bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) to secrete high levels of neurotrophic factors for protection of existing motor neurons, promotion of motor neuron growth, and re-establishment of nerve-muscle interaction. More information about NurOwn(TM) can be found at http://brainstorm-cell.com/index.php/science-a-technology/-nurown.

Visit our MS Learning Channel on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/msviewsandnews