Pluristem to Present at Annual Meeting of American Society of Hematology: Breakthrough Method Improves Engraftment of Umbilical Cord Blood in Treating Severe Blood Disorders

Tuesday December 5, 7:30 am ET

The current methodologies used in HSC expansion protocols apply an enrichment stage of rare subpopulation source cells defined as CD34 positive cells. These CD34 cells are pre-selected from a large and mixed population of mononuclear cells. This process results in a substantial loss of source cells and targets a cell population that may not represent the earliest extractable population of HSC.

The Pluristem developed method extracts and preserves for use a much larger number of CD34 positive cells than current methods. Pluristem's advanced approach to cell selection and separation was accomplished by using non-selected mononuclear cells (MNC) in the Company's U.S. patented three-dimensional scaffolding PluriX bioreactor. The PluriX uses flow-through co-culture techniques simulating the physiological environment within the bone marrow. The efficacy of the PluriX in expanding non-selected MNC is based upon the selective adherence of HSC and early progenitor cells from the general MNC pool to the 3-D stroma cells cultures within the PluriX system.
 

Zami Aberman, Pluristem CEO states, "Our ability to improve the engraftment of Umbilical Cord Blood in treating severe blood disorders, as presented recently in the ISEH conference in Minneapolis, has attracted attention in the hematology community. We are honored to have been chosen to present at this meeting of prestigious hematology experts. Our breakthrough process could lead to the wider use of Umbilical Cord Blood in bone marrow transplants and in treating various types of blood cancer benefiting 100,000 people annually."

The American Society of Hematology 48th Annual Meeting and Exposition is being held December 9-12, 2006 at the Orange County Convention Center, Orlando FL.

About Pluristem

Pluristem Life Systems, Inc. is life sciences driven company that is developing and commercializing stem cell expansion technology products for the treatment of severe blood disorders. The Company is discovering and developing cell-based therapeutics that utilizes adult stem cells expanded in a proprietary bioreactor mimicking different naturally occurring physiological environments. Pluristem expects its first products to be cell grafts that will provide an efficient and superior alternative to the standard procedure of bone marrow transplantation. Its first adult stem cell product is intended to target a critical global shortfall of matched tissue for bone marrow transplantation since bone marrow transplantation is often the only cure for patients suffering from leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma and many other hematological diseases. The Company has made a strategic decision to work only with adult stem cells since the practical use of embryonic stem cells is severely restricted by various religious, ethical and legal considerations.

www.pluristem.com

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains statements, which may constitute "forward-looking statements" regarding our intent, belief or current expectations. Forward-looking statements in this release include statements: that we will present at the ASH meeting and that we have overcome the major barrier resulting from pre-selection and separation of cord blood early hematopoietic stem cells; that we have a breakthrough process that improves engraftment of Umbilical Cord Blood when treating severe blood disorders; our breakthrough process could lead to the wider use of Umbilical Cord Blood in bone marrow transplants and in treating various types of blood cancer benefiting 100,000 people annually; the Company is discovering and developing cell-based therapeutics that utilizes adult stem cells expanded in a proprietary bioreactor mimicking different naturally occurring physiological environments; we expect our first products to be cell grafts that will provide an efficient and superior alternative to the standard procedure of bone marrow transplantation; our first adult stem cell product is intended to target a critical global shortfall of matched tissue for bone marrow transplantation . Factors which may significantly change or prevent our forward looking statements from fruition include that we may be unable to get other regulatory approval for our products; that we may be unsuccessful in developing any products; that our technology may not be validated as we progress further and our methods may not be accepted by the scientific community; that we are unable to retain or attract key employees whose knowledge is essential to the development of our products; that unforeseen scientific difficulties develop with our process; that results in the laboratory do not translate to equally good results in real surgical settings; that our patents are not sufficient to protect essential aspects of our technology; that competitors may invent better technology; that our products may not work as well as hoped or worse, that our products may harm recipients; and that we may not be able raise funds for development or working capital when we require it. As well, our products may never develop into useful products and even if they do, they may not be approved for sale to the public. For further risk factors see the Company's latest 10-KSB filed with the SEC.