Benzinga | Jan 20, 2021 09:09AM EST

BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Highlights Publication Of Preclinical Data Showing Potential Of NurOwn Derived Exosome-Based Treatment For COVID-19 Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:BCLI), a leading developer of adult stem cell therapies for neurodegenerative diseases, announced today the peer-reviewed publication of a preclinical study in the journal Stem Cell and Research Therapy. The study, entitled "MSC-NTF (NurOwn(r)) exosomes: a novel therapeutic modality in the mouse LPS-induced ARDS model," evaluated the use of NurOwn(r) (MSC-NTF cell) derived exosomes in a mouse model of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).



ARDS is a type of respiratory failure that is frequently associated with COVID-19 and mediated by dysregulated cytokine production. While there are currently no effective therapies to prevent or reverse ARDS, mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived exosomes have been suggested as a potential novel treatment option due to their ability to penetrate deep into tissues and efficiently deliver immunomodulatory molecules.

Results from the recently published study showed that intratracheal administration of NurOwn(r) derived exosomes led to a statistically significant reduction in lung disease severity score (p < 0.05; based on criteria set forth by the American Thoracic Society Documents: Matute-Bello et al., Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 44;725-738, 2011) and improvements in several additional clinically relevant lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ARDS markers such as lung function, fibrin presence, neutrophil accumulation, cytokine expression, and blood oxygenation levels. Notably, these improvements were significantly superior to those observed following administration of na?ve MSC-derived exosomes.

"These exciting preclinical data suggest that NurOwn(r) derived exosomes have the potential to treat COVID-19-induced ARDS or other severe respiratory complications, and that they are more effective than exosomes isolated from na?ve MSCs at combatting the various symptoms of the syndrome," said Dr. Revital Aricha, Vice President of Research & Development at BrainStorm. "This publication in a highly regarded journal provides important validation for the scientific advances and significance of BrainStorm's preclinical research programs, including on our exosome-based technology platform."

Chaim Lebovits, Brainstorm's Chief Executive Officer added, "While our primary focus is on advancing NurOwn(r) towards regulatory approval in ALS, we continue to evaluate the potential of our exosome-based platform to address unmet medical needs. The publication of these proof-of-concept data highlights this potential, and we are now actively assessing next steps to determine how to best generate value. We are also actively discussing with possible partners several development opportunities for the exosome technology."