Stem cell therapies for space missions? Pluristem joins forces with NASA to combat space-related ailments
When in space, your inner machinery can go awry — ask astronaut Scott Kelly. The assault of protracted radiation and microgravity can culminate in progressive bone and muscle loss and vex the immune system. Placenta-based stem cells may be the answer to limiting that damage, and Israel’s Pluristem is working with NASA to develop such an antidote.
The company, which is also working with the NIH and the US Department of Defense, last year secured the FDA’s emergency use authorization for its stem cell product for radiation poisoning. It also has two late-stage programs testing the potential of its experimental stem cell therapies for use in critical limb ischemia and muscle injury following surgical repair. The company’s off-the-shelf product is derived from placenta following full term delivery, and the cells can be administered to patients without the need for tissue matching.
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