A good starting point for any scientist in any field is to acknowledge that theres a lot that we dont know. We dont know, for example, why there is more matter than antimatter in the universe. We dont know quite how the evolution of the dinosaurs panned out. And, perhaps most surprisingly of all, we dont know quite how many organs the human body has or what all their functions are.

This January, researchers have announced that a brand new organ had been discovered in our bodies after it had long been mistaken for something else. Now, writing in the journal Nature, a group of researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), have found that the lungs in mice have a hidden feature too they help make blood.

Specifically, it appears the lungs produce over half of the platelets the components that bind blood together to stop us bleeding out when were wounded involved in circulation.

So not only do our breathing bags allow us to respire, but they also help keep our cardiovascular system full to the brim. Well thats rather lovely of them.

Thats not all. The researchers also managed to identify a cache of stem cells the type that can differentiate into almost any cell type with the right biological programming that can transform themselves into blood cells.

Bone marrow is thought to be the primary source of such stem cells, so this new revelation suggests that if our bone marrow is damaged and unable to keep up with its regular blood cell manufacture, our lungs can step in to make up for the shortfall.

This finding definitely suggests a more sophisticated view of the lungs that they're not just for respiration but also a key partner in formation of crucial aspects of the blood, senior author Mark Looney, a professor of medicine at UCSF, said in a statement.

A little caveat worth mentioning at this point is that this hasnt been directly imaged in humans, but mice. Nevertheless, the biological workings of these little critters is surprisingly similar to that of humans, which is part of the reason why theyre used in so many medical-themed studies so theres a good chance human lungs also possess the same hidden features.

Using a remarkable technique allowing the platelets to fluoresce, the team were able to directly trace the paths of the mousey platelets, and found they were coming from within the lungs. The megakaryocytes the platelet-producing cells are also seen moving back and forth between the lungs and the bone marrow, depending on where they are needed the most.

Perhaps studying abroad in different organs is a normal part of stem cell education, Looney added.

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Scientists Have Discovered A Secret Function Of Lungs - IFLScience

Jonathan Pitre readies for his second stem cell transplant, which will take place April 13th at the University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital. Tina Boileau / -

Fully recovered from a series of infections, Jonathan Pitre has received medical clearance to undergo a second stem cell transplant.

Pitre, 16, will check into hospital on the last day of March to begin eight days of high-dose chemotherapy and one day of radiation. His stem cell transplant what doctors call Day Zero is scheduled forApril 13 at the University of Minnesota Masonic Childrens Hospital.

The night before he goes into hospital, Pitre will attend the Ottawa Senators game against the Minnesota Wild at the Xcel Energy Centre in Saint Paul. It will be a good night of fun before it all starts again, said Pitres mother, Tina Boileau.

She shared the latest news on her Facebook page on Wednesday.

After many weeks of tests, procedures and appointments at the hospital, Jonathan got the green light to proceed with the second transplant, she said. He has completely recovered from his infections and his body is as strong as can be This time it will work!

Last September, Pitre suffered nausea, hair loss, fevers and exhaustion in the aftermath of his first transplant, which ultimately failed when his own stem cells recolonized his bone marrow.His second transplant has been delayed because of lung and blood infections.

In an interview earlier this month, Pitre told the Citizen hes staying positive even though he understands the physical test that he faces in hospital.

Its mostly thinking about sticking together with the people you care about, your family, he said . You have to stick to them very, very tightly and tell each other that, Its going to be OK, and that Were stronger than this. Were going through this together, not just alone.

Pitre suffers from a rare, painful and deadly form of epidermolysis bullosa (EB), a blistering skin disease.

Hes the first Canadian to take part in a clinical trial operated by the University of Minnesotas Dr. Jakub Tolar, a pediatric transplant specialist who has adapted stem-cell therapy as a treatment for the most severe forms of EB.Although the procedure comes with the potential for life-threatening complications, it has produced dramatic improvements in two-thirds of those EB patients who have survived the transplant: tougher skin, reduced blistering and better wound healing.

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'Butterfly boy' Jonathan Pitre cleared for second stem cell transplant - Ottawa Citizen

Fresh young cells

Dennis Kunkle Microscopy/Science Photo Library

By Jessica Hamzelou

BLOOD from the young seems to have healing powers, but how can we harness them without relying on donors? The discovery of a protein that keeps blood stem cells youthful might help.

The rejuvenating properties of young blood came to light in macabre experiments that stitched young and old mice together to share a circulatory system. The health of the older mice improved, while that of the younger ones deteriorated. Other animal studies have since shown that injections of young or old blood have similar effects.

This may work in people too. Young blood is being trialled as a treatment for conditions like Alzheimers, and aged mice that received injections of blood from human teenagers showed improved cognition, memory and physical activity levels.

We think the drug will improve signs of ageing and boost the immune systems of older people

But these studies rely on young people donating their blood: if this became the go-to therapy for age-related disease it would be difficult to get enough donations to fulfil demand.

The stem cells in our blood could provide an alternative approach. Our red and white blood cells are made by stem cells that themselves come from mother stem cells in bone marrow. But as we age, the number of these mother stem cells declines. One of the worlds longest-lived women seemed to only have two left in her blood when she died at age 115.

The decline in mother stem cells causes people to have fewer red blood cells, and white blood cells called B and T lymphocytes. These declines can cause anaemia and weaken the immune system. Usually the immune system in the elderly is not prepared to fight infections very hard, says Hartmut Geiger at the University of Ulm in Germany.

When Geigers team examined the bone marrow in mice, they found that older animals have much lower levels of a protein called osteopontin. To see if this protein has an effect on blood stem cells, the team injected stem cells into mice that lacked osteopontin and found that the cells rapidly aged.

But when older stem cells were mixed in a dish with osteopontin and a protein that activates it, they began to produce white blood cells just as young stem cells do. This suggests osteopontin makes stem cells behave more youthfully (EMBO Journal, doi.org/b4jp). If we can translate this into a treatment, we can make old blood young again, Geiger says.

Its exciting, says Hanadie Yousef at Stanford University in California. But longer term studies are needed to see whether this approach can rejuvenate the whole blood system, she says.

Until now, most efforts to use blood as a rejuvenation agent have focused on plasma, the liquid component, as some believe it carries dissolved factors that help maintain youth. But Geiger thinks the cells in blood might play a key role, because they are better able to move into the bodys tissues.

Both soluble factors and blood cells are likely to be important, says Yousef. While injections of young plasma rejuvenate older animals, the treatment doesnt have as strong an effect as when young and old animals share a circulatory system, she says.

Geigers team is developing a drug containing osteopontin and the activating protein to encourage blood stem cells to behave more youthfully. It should boost the immune system of elderly people, he says.

Such a drug might have benefits beyond fighting infection and alleviating anaemia. The team also think the protein will boost levels of mother stem cells. Having only a small number of such cells has been linked to heart disease, so Geiger says there is a chance that boosting them may help prevent this.

Osteopontin might also be useful for treating age-linked blood disorders, such as myelodysplasias that involve dysfunctional cells, says Martin Pera of the Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine. It is possible that rejuvenating bone marrow stem cells could help with these conditions, he says.

This study provides more evidence that cells can be rejuvenated, says Ioakim Spyridopoulos at Newcastle University, UK. They have made old blood look young again, although whether it acts young or not will have to be shown in clinical trials.

This article appeared in print under the headline Old blood made young again

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Old blood can be made young again and it might fight ageing | New ... - New Scientist

Challenging a long-held model about how blood is formed, a study led by UC San Francisco researchers has found that the lungs play a crucial role in the process, producing half of blood platelets and also storing blood-forming stem cells.

The study, performed in mice, also found that blood stem cells and progenitor cells travel freely between the lungs and bone marrow, long considered the primary source of blood production.

If found to occur in humans, this discovery about the lungs role in blood production could provide new approaches for treating blood diseases, pulmonologist Mark R. Looney, M.D., senior author of the study, said in a statement.

Moreover, the success of lung transplantation might be increased by better understanding this process. Immune reaction between donor blood cells in the lungs and the host could contribute to transplant rejection, the study stated.

The study was published Wednesday in the journal Nature. When placed online, the study can be found at j.mp/lungblood.

"This finding definitely suggests a more sophisticated view of the lungs -- that they're not just for respiration but also a key partner in formation of crucial aspects of the blood," Looney said. "What we've observed here in mice strongly suggests the lung may play a key role in blood formation in humans as well."

"Dr. Looney and his team have disrupted some traditional ideas about the pulmonary role in platelet-related hematopoiesis, paving the way for further scientific exploration of this integrated biology," said Traci Mondoro, of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, in the statement.

While it has been known for decades that platelets can be made in the lungs, the study indicates that lung production is a more important factor than previously thought, said Mondoro, project officer at the Translational Blood Science and Resources Branch of the NHLBI, a division of the National Institutes of Health.

Researchers studied the lungs of mice genetically engineered to make a green fluorescent protein in platelets and platelet-making cells called megakaryocytes. They found a larger than expected number of these cells.

Megakaryocytes that release platelets in the lungs originate from extrapulmonary sites such as the bone marrow; we observed large megakaryocytes migrating out of the bone marrow space, the study said. The contribution of the lungs to platelet biogenesis is substantial,accounting for approximately 50% of total platelet production or 10 million platelets per hour.

After discovering this process, the researchers looked for more signs of blood cells residing in the lungs. They found progenitor cells that turn into megakaryocytes, along with blood-forming, or hematopoietic, stem cells. a total of 1 million per mouse lung.

These cells constitute a reservoir that can replenish the bone marrow, the study said.

Under conditions of thrombocytopenia (platelet deficiency) and relative stem cell deficiency in the bone marrow, these progenitors can migrate out of the lungs, repopulate the bone marrow, completely reconstitute blood platelet counts, and contribute to multiple hematopoietic lineages, the study stated. These results identify the lungs as a primary site of terminal platelet production and an organ with considerable hematopoietic potential.

The studys co-first authors are Emma Lefranais and Guadalupe Ortiz-Muoz, both of UCSF. It was supported by the UCSF Nina Ireland Program in Lung Health; the UCSF Program for Breakthrough Biomedical Research, and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

bradley.fikes@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1020

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Lungs make platelets, store blood stem cells: Study - The San Diego ... - The San Diego Union-Tribune

Plasma and stem cells: The future of regenerative medicine

Blood platelet injections and stem cell treatments may sound like the future, but physicians at the Andrews Institute are already practicing these forms of regenerative medicine.

Weight lifting mixed with normal wear and tear left Howie Webber in constant pain.

"I probably felt it about four months ago," said Howie. "I did some stretching, thinking I could make it go away, but it just continued to get worse."

That's when Howie went to the doctor and found out he had two options: surgery or regenerative medicine; he picked the latter.

"I just added up the amount of time I'd be out of work and the cost of surgery, plus the copay and this whole thing just seemed like it would be a little faster and a little easier, and it ended up being just that," said Howie.

Physicians at the Andrew's Institute currently offer two different types of regenerative medicine, platelet rich plasma, or PRP and bone marrow aspirate concentrate, or BMAC.

With PRP, physicians take the patient's blood, separate the platelets and inject those platelets back into the patient at the site of injury. The idea is that platelets carry growth factors and molecules to stimulate the healing process.

BMAC utilizes platelets too, but also the patient's bone marrow harvested from the pelvis.

Both regenerative medicine methods have benefits, perhaps the biggest according to Dr. Brett Kindle, is avoiding invasive surgeries.

"If we need surgery, we need surgery, and that's what it is, but if we can avoid it, that often times is very beneficial from a financial standpoint, missing less work, etc.," said Dr. Kindle. "Also from a quality of life, to be able to get back to doing activities in a more timely manner."

The main difference between the two is price and neither are covered by insurance. BMAC costs upwards of $3,000, while PRP costs anywhere from $600 to $800. Howie opted for PRP.

"It hurt for about three days, then within a week I was pain free," said Howie. "Maybe a little discomfort that you would expect, but it wasn't near as bad as it was before."

Howie's issue was with his hamstrings, but Dr. Kindle said both PRP and BMAC can be used to treat a variety of aches and pains.

"Anything in the limbs," said Dr. Kindle. "Shoulders, elbows, hands, wrists, hips, knees, foot, ankle, all of those areas."

Recovery for both PRP and BMAC procedures is typically one to two weeks. Full effects of the injections don't usually kick in until six to eight weeks later. For more information about regenerative medicine or to schedule a consultation with an Andrews Institute physician, call (850) 916-8700.

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Plasma and stem cells: The future of regenerative medicine - WEAR

Science Daily

Stem cell therapy is safe for stroke patients, study shows Science Daily A multicenter trial looking at whether a single dose of millions of adult, bone-marrow-derived stem cells can aid stroke recovery indicates it's safe and well-tolerated by patients but may not significantly improve their recovery within the first three ... Stem cells seem speedier in spacePhys.Org Borrowing from nature: UW-Madison scientists use plants to grow stem cellsMadison.com The Worst 'Healthcare': 'Stem Cell' Clinics Wrought with Red Flags, Insincerity and BlindnessAmerican Council on Science and Health all 34 news articles »

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Stem cell therapy is safe for stroke patients, study shows - Science Daily

LOS ANGELESIn the course of March 3-4, the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry (ABMDR) held unprecedented community-outreach and donor-recruitment events throughout Javakhk, in Western Georgia, led by an ABMDR team from Yerevan.

The historic recruitment campaign, which took place in Armenian communities in Akhaltskha, Akhalkalak, and Ninotsminda, was organized with the assistance of the Armenian Relief Society (ARS) of Javakhk, and the invaluable logistical support of Karine Tadevosyan, chairperson of the ARS Javakhk Region, and other local ARS members.

Throughout the recruitment and outreach events, ABMDR Executive Director Dr. Sevak Avagyan and Medical Director Mihran Nazaretyan delivered lectures and made presentations with regard to ABMDRs life-saving mission, to the great enthusiasm of hundreds of local Armenian-community members. Also addressing the community gatherings were Tadevosyan and other executive members of ARS Javakhk. By the conclusion of the recruitment campaign, 76 local Armenians had joined the ranks of ABMDR as potential bone marrow donors.

Words cannot describe our joy as we marvel at the support, excitement, and spirit of activism which our recruitment campaign was met with, in every single Javakhk community where we held events, said Dr. Frieda Jordan, President of ABMDR, and added, We convey our heartfelt gratitude to Karine Tadevosyan, all of her gracious ARS colleagues, other local community leaders, and the Armenian people of Javakhk as a whole, for joining our global family of bone marrow donors, toward our shared quest of saving lives.

About the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry

Established in 1999, ABMDR, a nonprofit organization, helps Armenians and non-Armenians worldwide survive life-threatening blood-related illnesses by recruiting and matching donors to those requiring bone marrow stem cell transplants. To date, the registry has recruited over 28,000 donors in 42 countries across four continents, identified over 4,200 patients, and facilitated 27 bone marrow transplants. For more information, call (323) 663-3609 or visit abmdr.am.

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76 Javakhk Armenians Join ABMDR as Bone Marrow Donors - Asbarez Armenian News

Palm Beach Post (blog)

Blinded by science: Women go blind after stem-cell treatment at Florida clinic Palm Beach Post (blog) In 2010, for example, a woman with the autoimmune disease lupus died after her own bone marrow cells were injected into her kidneys at a clinic in Thailand. In 2013, the Florida Department of Health revoked the medical license of Zannos Grekos over the ... Stem cells seem speedier in spacePhys.Org Stem cell therapy is safe for stroke patients, study showsScience Daily Borrowing from nature: UW-Madison scientists use plants to grow stem cellsMadison.com American Council on Science and Health -Medgadget (blog) -The Republic of East Vancouver all 34 news articles »

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Blinded by science: Women go blind after stem-cell treatment at Florida clinic - Palm Beach Post (blog)

The study consists of donor and patient pairs for allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. The first part of the study, which is nearing completion, is intended to enroll an initial cohort of 10 donor and recipient pairs, consisting of patients with advanced hematological malignancies and their HLA-matched sibling donors. Interim results show that a single injection of BL-8040 mobilized sufficient amounts of cells required for transplantation at a level of efficacy similar to that achieved by using 4-6 injections of G-CSF, the current standard of care. Furthermore, all recipients transplanted so far have experienced a successful neutrophil engraftment. The recipients will be followed for one year to assess acute and chronic GVHD events. As for the donors, BL-8040 treatment was safe and well tolerated.

Philip Serlin, Chief Executive Officer of BioLineRx, stated, "We are very encouraged by these initial results of the Phase 2 clinical trial for assessing BL-8040, our lead oncology and hematology platform, as a single agent for hematopoietic stem cell mobilization for allogeneic transplantation. Hematopoietic stem cells are increasingly used as part of the treatment regimen for certain types of hematological cancers, as well as for severe anemia and immune deficiency disorders. These results, supporting BL-8040 as a one-day dosing and up-to-two-day collection regimen, for rapid mobilization of substantial amounts of stem cells, represent a significant improvement over the current standard of care, which requires four-to-six daily injections of G-CSF and one-to-four apheresis sessions.If there are no safety concerns regarding graft failure or rejection after the interim safety review of donor-recipient pairs participating in Part 1 of the study, we will continue with Part 2 of the study, which will permit enrollment of recipients with either matched sibling or haploidentical donors, up to a total enrollment in the study of 24 donor-recipient pairs. We are looking forward to the topline results expected by the end of 2017."

"We continue our efforts to maximize the potential of our unique BL-8040 oncology platform, with multiple clinical studies for additional indications up and running or expected to start in 2017, including several combination studies with immune checkpoint inhibitors and a registration study in stem-cell mobilization for autologous transplantation," added Mr. Serlin.

The Phase 2 open-label study is conducted in collaboration with the Washington University School of Medicine, Division of Oncology, and will enroll up to 24 donor/recipient pairs, aged 18-70. The trial is designed to evaluate the ability of BL-8040, as a single agent, to promote stem cell mobilization for allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. On the donor side, the primary endpoint of the study is the ability of a single injection of BL-8040 to mobilize sufficient amounts of cells for transplantation following up to two apheresis procedures. On the recipient side, the study aims to evaluate the time to engraftment rate following transplantation of the BL-8040 collected graft.

The study will also evaluate the safety and tolerability of BL-8040 in healthy donors, as well as graft durability, the incidence of grade 2-4 acute and chronic GVHD, and other recipient related parameters in patients who have undergone transplantation of hematopoietic cells mobilized with BL-8040.

About BL-8040

BL-8040 is a short peptide for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia, solid tumors, and certain hematological indications. It functions as a high-affinity antagonist for CXCR4, a chemokine receptor that is directly involved in tumor progression, angiogenesis, metastasis and cell survival. CXCR4 is over-expressed in more than 70% of human cancers and its expression often correlates with disease severity. In a number of clinical and pre-clinical studies, BL-8040 has shown robust mobilization of cancer cells from the bone marrow, thereby sensitizing these cells to chemo- and bio-based anti-cancer therapy, as well as a direct anti-cancer effect by inducing apoptosis. In addition, BL-8040 has also demonstrated robust stem-cell mobilization, including the mobilization of colony-forming cells, and T, B and NK cells. BL-8040 was licensed by BioLineRx from Biokine Therapeutics and was previously developed under the name BKT-140.

About Stem Cell Mobilization

High-dose chemotherapy followed by hematopoietic cell transplantation has become an established treatment modality for a variety of hematologic malignancies, including multiple myeloma, as well as various forms of lymphoma and leukemia. Modern peripheral stem-cell harvesting often replaces the use of traditional surgical bone marrow stem-cell harvesting. In the modern method, stem cells are mobilized from the bone marrow using granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), often with the addition of a mobilizing agent such as Plerixafor (Mozobil), harvested from the donor's peripheral blood by apheresis, and infused to the patient after chemotherapy ablation treatment.

An allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant involves matching a patient's tissue type, specifically their human leukocyte antigen (HLA) tissue type, with that of a related or unrelated donor. HLA proteins are found on all cells of our body and are the main way the immune system tells the difference between our own cells and foreign cells. The closer the HLA match between a donor and recipient, the greater the chance a transplant will be successful. If the HLA match is not close enough, the donor's immune system, which accompanies the donated stem cells, recognizes the HLA mismatch, and will attack the recipient's tissues. This process is known as graft versus host disease (GVHD).

Approximately 70% of people with a hematological malignancy or bone marrow failure syndrome who need an allogeneic transplant have an HLA-identical sibling or unrelated donor available. For patients who need a stem cell transplant but do not have an HLA-matched related or unrelated donor, recent medical advances have made possible the use of a partially matched or haploidentical related donor. A haploidentical related donor is usually a 50% match to the recipient and may be the recipient's parent, sibling or child.

The advantage of having a haploidentical transplant is thatit increases the chance offinding a donoras almost everyone has at least one haploidentical relative. Relatives can usually be asked to donate stem cells much more quickly than unrelated volunteer donors, particularly when the volunteer donors live in other countries, thereby allowing transplants to be done in a more timely manner.

With improvements in medical treatment, complications of a haploidentical transplant, such as GVHD, rejection of the graft and slow recovery of the immune system appear not to be increased compared to transplants using HLA-matched related or unrelated donors. Since this is a relatively new approach to stem cell transplantation, a haploidentical transplant is a treatment option that is not offered at all treatment centers, but is becoming more common.

About BioLineRx

BioLineRx is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on oncology and immunology. The Company in-licenses novel compounds, primarily from academic institutions and biotech companies based in Israel, develops them through pre-clinical and/or clinical stages, and then partners with pharmaceutical companies for advanced clinical development and/or commercialization.

BioLineRx's leading therapeutic candidates are: BL-8040, a cancer therapy platform, which has successfully completed a Phase 2a study for relapsed/refractory AML and is in the midst of a Phase 2b study as an AML consolidation treatment and a Phase 2 study in stem cell mobilization for allogeneic transplantation; and BL-7010 for celiac disease and gluten sensitivity, which has successfully completed a Phase 1/2 study. In addition, BioLineRx has a strategic collaboration with Novartis for the co-development of selected Israeli-sourced novel drug candidates; a collaboration agreement with MSD (known as Merck in the US and Canada), on the basis of which the Company has initiated a Phase 2a study in pancreatic cancer using the combination of BL-8040 and Merck's KEYTRUDA; and a collaboration agreement with Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, to investigate the combination of BL-8040 and Genentech's Atezolizumab in several Phase 1b studies for multiple solid tumor indications and AML.

For additional information on BioLineRx, please visit the Company's website athttp://www.biolinerx.com, where you can review the Company's SEC filings, press releases, announcements and events. BioLineRx industry updates are also regularly updated onFacebook,Twitter, andLinkedIn.

Various statements in this release concerning BioLineRx's future expectations constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include words such as "may," "expects," "anticipates," "believes," and "intends," and describe opinions about future events. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of BioLineRx to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Some of these risks are: changes in relationships with collaborators; the impact of competitive products and technological changes; risks relating to the development of new products; and the ability to implement technological improvements. These and other factors are more fully discussed in the "Risk Factors" section of BioLineRx's most recent annual report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 10, 2016. In addition, any forward-looking statements represent BioLineRx's views only as of the date of this release and should not be relied upon as representing its views as of any subsequent date. BioLineRx does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements unless required by law.

Contacts: PCG Advisory Vivian Cervantes Investor Relations +1-212-554-5482 vivian@pcgadvisory.com

or

Tsipi Haitovsky Public Relations +972-52-989892 tsipihai5@gmail.com

SOURCE BioLineRx Ltd.

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BioLineRx Provides Update on Phase 2 Open-Label Study for BL-8040 as Novel Stem Cell Mobilization Treatment - PR Newswire (press release)

Science Daily

First patient cured of rare blood disorder Science Daily The transplant technique is unique, because it allows a donor's cells to gradually take over a patient's bone marrow without using toxic agents to eliminate a patient's cells prior to the transplant. ... treatment options have been limited because they ... Stem Cell Transplant Cures a Man With Rare Blood DisorderNature World News Doctors cure first patient with rare blood disorderIANS all 3 news articles »

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First patient cured of rare blood disorder - Science Daily

Tri-City Herald

Retired Richland sergeant battling rare blood disease, awaiting marrow transplant Tri-City Herald People who are healthy, between 18 and 44, and want to register as a bone marrow/stem cell donor can do it at join.bethematch.org/hope4sarge or join.bethematch.org/hopeforsarge. A swab kit will be mailed to their home with instructions and a confirmation.

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Retired Richland sergeant battling rare blood disease, awaiting marrow transplant - Tri-City Herald

The right bone marrow donor match has been hard to find for one 2-year-old.

Shern-Min Chow, KHOU 6:49 PM. CDT March 20, 2017

The right bone marrow donor match for this 2-year-old has been hard to find. (Photo: KHOU)

HOUSTON - Roman Shen is a happy 2-year-old. You wouldn't know it, but he suffers from Shwachman Diamond Syndrome, or SDS. That means his bone marrow doesn't work properly and doesnt make its own white blood cells.

The right bone marrow donor match has been hard to find.

Mostly because he is mixed race, Chinese-Italian, and they are underrepresented in the bone marrow registry," said Nicole Shen, his mother.

Mixed race people are 4 percent of the bone marrow registry. So for the past 2 years, Romans parents have been actively involved with the registry, launching and participating in Be the Match registration drives.

It takes about 10 minutes. You swab the inside of your cheek. You could save my son's life or someone else's life," Nicole Shen said.

Why is race so important to marrow donation?

You're matching antigens that are produced by your stem cells and those are in many cases matched to ethnicity," saidBe The Match spokeswoman FeliciaGann.

One in 540 registrants will end up being a match. Donors give either with platelets, which are given much like a blood donation or with actual bone marrow, removed from the hip bone via needle. Bone marrow transplants are used to treat over 70 diseases.

The Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center houses the Gulf Coast Marrow Donor Program (GCMDP) and is an accredited donor center for the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) which operates the Be The Match Registry. For more information, contact the GCMDP at (713)-791-6697.

To register as a potential marrow donor, you must be 18 to 44 years old and in general good health. Registration takes 10 minutes and involves completing a form and a cheek swab with a Q-tip.

You may register at any of the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center Locations onlineor arrange for representatives come to you by emailing fgann@giveblood.org.

2017 KHOU-TV

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Family of 2-year-old hopes to find bone marrow donor - KHOU.com

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Cesca Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: KOOL), a market leader in automated cell processing and point-of-care, autologous cell-based therapies, today announced the publication in a peer reviewed journal of data from its Critical Limb Ischemia (CLI) feasibility study utilizing the Companys innovative point-of-care technology. The report was published in the Stem Cells International and is available online at https://www.hindawi.com/journals/sci/2017/4137626/ref/.

Results from the seventeen patient clinical study titled, Safety and Effectiveness of Bone Marrow Cell Concentrate in the Treatment of Chronic Critical Limb Ischemia Utilizing a Rapid Point-of-Care System, (the Study) were obtained using Cescas automated point-of-care technology. The single treatment procedure was performed at the patients bedside and took less than 60 minutes. The Study results showed significant improvement in wound healing, rest pain and six-minute walking distance, along with significant reduction in intermittent claudication pain following the treatment.

Dr. Venkatesh Ponemone, Study Director and Executive Director of TotipotentRX, a Cesca subsidiary and the corresponding author of the article commented, We are targeting difficult to treat or life threatening conditions such as CLI with our autologous, cell-based therapies. We believe our innovative point-of-care cell processing systems, such as those used in the Study, can play an important role in optimizing the quality and quantity of target cells used to improve patient outcomes.

Dr. Xiaochun "Chris" Xu, Cesca's Interim CEO added, We are pleased that the Study was recognized and published in a peer reviewed journal. The encouraging data highlights Cescas capability to develop effective automated cellular processing systems. We welcome strategic partners to help us further refine their use in larger clinical settings.

About Cesca Therapeutics Inc.Cesca Therapeutics Inc. (www.cescatherapeutics.com) is engaged in the research, development, and commercialization of cellular therapies and delivery systems for use in regenerative medicine. The Company is a leader in the development and manufacture of automated blood and bone marrow processing systems that enable the separation, processing and preservation of cell and tissue therapeutics. These include:

Forward-Looking StatementThe statements contained herein may include statements of future expectations and other forward-looking statements that are based on managements current views and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. A more complete description of risks that could cause actual events to differ from the outcomes predicted by Cesca Therapeutics' forward-looking statements is set forth under the caption "Risk Factors" in Cesca Therapeutics annual report on Form 10-K and other reports it files with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time, and you should consider each of those factors when evaluating the forward-looking statements.

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Cesca Therapeutics (KOOL) Announces CLI Feasibility Study Published in Stem Cells International - StreetInsider.com

At SXSW, One Panel Discussion Centered On Potentially Life-Saving Mission Patch.com Many patients fighting blood cancer and other blood diseases like sickle cell anemia can be saved with a bone marrow or stem cell transplant. Thirty percent of all patients needing transplants find a compatible donor within their family, but 70 ...

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At SXSW, One Panel Discussion Centered On Potentially Life-Saving Mission - Patch.com

It's a long road ahead for Madalayna Ducharme after her stem cell transplant Friday.

The seven-month-old baby was diagnosed with malignant infantile osteopetrosis, which stunts growth, impairs vision and hearing and if untreated can be fatal.

The girl's family put out a plea in January to try to find a stem cell donor.

It took a few months, with 1,300 people attending swab events and a match was found.

The family posted on Facebook that The best agreed upon opportunity/match for us after many tests and consultations is our son Henrik.

The 2-year-old Henrik had a bone marrow harvest Friday. The family says he had surgery to remove bone marrow from both hips. Madalyna later received her brother's bone marrow in the form of a blood transfusion.

Doctors told the family the surgery went well.

Henrik has since been discharged and is recovering at the Ronald Mcdonald House.

For Madalayna, it's a matter of wait and see to find out if the marrow going into her bones will work as her own.

It will take between 14 and 27 days before doctors can tell if the transfusion was successful.

In the Facebook post, the family thanked everyone for their thoughts and prayers and asked people to continue to think about the family.

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Baby's stem cell transplant goes well, doctors say - CTV News

By FPJ Bureau|Mar 19, 2017 12:05 am

Mumbai : A Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) and Birthing Centre was launched by actor Shah Rukh Khan on Friday at Nanavati Super Speciality Hospital (NSSH) at Vile Parle. On the occasion, Khan told the people present to take their medicines on timeand do regular check ups and get rid of ailments.

BMT is a procedure to replace damaged or destroyed bone marrow with healthy bone marrow stem cells. Bone marrow is the soft, fatty tissue inside our bones which produces blood cells. Stem cells are immature cells in the bone marrow that give rise to different blood cells.

Dr Nimish Kulkarni, Associate Consultant of BMT, said, BMT are considered the last-mile treatment solutions for patients with blood and cancer disorders. We specialise in providing transplant services for benign hematological disorders like Thalassemia, Sickle cell disease, Aplastic anemia, bleeding disorders and coagulation disorders. Shah Rukh said, I have been associated with Nanavati Hospital before 25 years ago as a patient. Every year more than 10,000 people are dying of cancer in India, even my parents succumbed to cancer. I am glad now we have a world class treatment.

Dr. Ali has looked after me and my various injuries. He has looked after my sister and wife too. Few people know that when my third son, Abram, was born, he was in a very critical condition. He was rushed to the Paediatric centre here and looked after even before we could meet him. Its a strange cycle that my child was saved in the same hospital which has a ward named after my mother. I am thankful to them, Khan added. Kulkarni added, The specialisation also extends to providing advanced transplant treatments for malignant hematological disorders like acute and chronic leukemia, Hodgkins and Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, Multiple Myeloma, Myelodysplasia,

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SRK launches BMT, Birthing Centre at Nanavati hospital - Free Press Journal

I just read a concerning paper about an experimental stem cell treatment for children with autism.

The authors are Himanshu Bansal and colleagues of India. The senior author, Prasad S Koka, is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Stem Cells where the paper appeared, which raises questions about whether the manuscript received a thorough peer review. Koka is actually an author on all five of the research papers published in that issue of the journal. But thats a minor issue compared to the content of the paper.

Bansal et al. describe a procedure in which they extracted fluid from the bone marrow of each child. This fluid (bone marrow aspirate) was treated in the laboratory to purify the stem cells within, and then injected into the childs spinal canal. The whole operation took place under general anaesthesia. 10 autistic children aged 4-12 were treated.

I found this pretty shocking. An invasive procedure involving general anaesthesia should only be performed if its medically justified especially in children as young as 4! Bansal et al. provide no scientific explanation for why they thought this treatment was suitable for these patients. They vaguely name immunological and neural dysregulation believed to underlie autism as the target of the cells.

For what its worth, the results showed a slight improvement in autism symptoms after the treatment. However, there was no control group, so placebo effects are likely, and were told that the patients were also given speech therapy, occupational therapy and psychological intervention which might account for the benefits.

So who gave the green light to this project? Well, remarkably, Bansal et al.s paper contains no information about which ethics committee reviewed and approved the study. I dont know about the laws in India, but in the UK or the USA, conducting even the most benign research without the proper ethical approval is serious misconduct. Most journals absolutely wont publish medical research without an ethics statement.

The paper also contains no mention of conflicts of interest another thing that most medical journals require. I believe that financial conflicts of interest are likely to exist in this case because Bansal gives his affiliations as Mother Cell, his own private venture, and RegennMed, who sell various stem cell treatments.

Overall, to say that this paper is ethically questionable is an understatement, and it would have been rejected by any real journal.

This isnt Dr Himanshu Bansals first foray into the amazing world of dodgy stem-cells. He briefly made headlines around the globe last year when he announced his ReAnima project to bring a brain dead woman back to life (with stem cells). Indian authorities eventually blocked his resurrection attempt. Theres some more interesting dirt on Bansal on this forum.

This is also not the worlds first stem cells for autism trial. For example, Duke University launched a $40 million trial in 2014. The treatment in that trial was a blood infusion, so it was pretty non-invasive: no bone marrow, spinal needles, or general anaesthesia. However, critics argue that its pure speculation to think that stem cells would help in autism. Then again, the same could be said about a great many stem cell therapies.

Bansal H, Verma P, Agrawal A, Leon J, Sundell IB, Koka PS. (2016). A Short Study Report on Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate Cell Therapy in Ten South Asian Indian Patients with Autism Journal of Stem Cells, 11 (1)

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Unethical Stem Cell Therapy for Autism In India? - Discover Magazine (blog)

Seven-month-old Madalayna Ducharme is receivingthe stem celltransplant she urgently needs to save her life, from a donor found in herWindsor home her two-year-old brother Henrik.

But her mother Tamara cautioned Friday that the hardest days start today as specialistsat Torontos Sick Kids hospital closely monitor for the next several weeks how Madalayna responds to her brothers stem cells, needed to halt the terrible effects of malignant infantile osteopetrosis.

Theone-in-200,000 genetic disorder causes bones toget thicker and more dense. She cant lift her head because its too heavy. One of the most devastatingeffects vision loss caused by thickening bones compressing nerves has already happened since her January diagnosis.

People dont get how difficult this still is, Tamara said during a phone interview Friday from Sick Kids. Once the match was found (last week) everyone was so excited. But then there was eight days of chemo, to kill off Madalaynas own stem cells and make room for those from her brother. The chemo was tough on Madalayna, Tamara said.

And that isnt even the most difficult part. We keep being told its going to get a lot harder before it gets better.

She said doctors will monitor her for signs of rejection for the next 14-27 days in Toronto. Theres a risk of graft versus host disease, which can happen if Henriks donated bone marrow thinks Madalaynas body is foreign and attacks her.

When Tamarawas interviewed on Friday, she and husband Charles were waiting while Henrik was donating his bone marrow a 3-hour procedure called harvesting. Madalayna was on Tamaras lap, waiting for the procedure that involves transfusing the bone marrow into her system, much like a blood transfusion.

The Ducharme family at their home in Windsors Riverside area on Jan. 18, 2017. From left: Henrik, Tamara, Charles, and warrior princess Madalayna. Nick Brancaccio / Windsor Star

Because hes only two, Henrik only understands that hes helping his sister, Tamara said.He was very willing, she said, because he knows she is very sick.

The family went public in January to plead for people to get swabbed tested to see it theyre a match and to register on the international bone marrow registry. About 1,500 volunteered, said Tamara.

Its phenomenal, she said of the response. Its very uplifting, it makes you feel really great that people are behind us. She said social media posts about Madalaynas progressare followed by 7,000-15,000 people.

Shes got a lot of prayers and thoughts behind her, so shes going to be OK.

Tamara said Madalaynas eyes have been affected by the disease, but doctors arent yet 100 per cent sure if shes entirely lost her eyesight a permanent effect from the disease.

Madalayna appeared perfectly healthy when she was born, but at two months, theirfamily doctor noticed herfontanel the soft spot in a babys skull was enlarged. It was the start of a long list of symptoms such as spitting up, seizures, spots on the liver and abnormal findings from blood work, ultrasounds and other tests. The definitive diagnosis came in January.

When the Ducharmes made their public appeal for people to get swabbed, the situation was an emergency due to the possible arrival of terrible complications, including lost eyesight and hearing.

Windsor is such a great community, as soon as you put a call out, people are willing to help, theyre always there in abundance, said Joanne Bedard, whose Katelyn Bendard Bone Marrow Associationorganizedlocal bone marrow registrations in Madalaynas name.

About 1,300 people registered with CanadasOne Matchstem cell and marrow registry, not including other donors who were swabbed at regular Canadian Blood Services blood donor clinics or who submitted their swab sample through the mail.

The fact we had that many people who joined the registry, it just offers so much more hope to the other over 800 Canadians who are waiting for a (stem cell) transplant, said Bedard, whose daughterKatelyn died of leukemia in 2005 when she was three, aftera bone marrow donor could not be found.

When they learned last week that Henrik was a match, doctors were initially hesitant to use him because of concerns his genetic makeup was too close to Madalaynas and could therefore share some of the diseases traits. But they ultimately decided that Henrik was the best option.

Madalayna Ducharme at her family home in Windsors Riverside area on Jan. 18, 2017. The baby warrior princess suffers from the rare disorder of malignant infantile osteopetrosis. Nick Brancaccio / Windsor Star

Friday was Day Zero for Madalayna, and the medical experts will start counting upwards from there as Henriks stem cells start to graft into her system.

Thereare a lot of things that can happen from Day Zero on up until she has accepted this bone marrow, her mother said. So were actually going to be in the roughest days starting today.

A benefit to help the family is planned for April 1 at Parkwood Gospel Temple, 3005 Temple Dr., from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Call 226-348-0388 for information about tickets. You can also donate to an account set up at Libro Credit Union. Go to any location and make a deposit to the Warrior Princess account. You can also make an e-transfer towarriorprincesslayna@gmail.com with the password Layna.

bcross@postmedia.com

twitter.com/winstarcross

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Prayers, hopes for Madalayna, as brother donates life-saving stem ... - Windsor Star

A non-surgical treatment that uses a patients own bone marrow stem cells to treat chest pain or angina improved both symptoms and the length of time treated patients could be physically active, according to recent research.

Angina is chest pain or discomfort caused when the heart does not get enough oxygen-rich blood due to narrowing or blockages in the arteries leading to the heart.

Most studies that have explored stem-cell therapies for angina required surgery to directly inject stem cells into the heart muscle or the heart blood vessels.

We injected a catalyst molecule that caused bone marrow stem cells to enter the patients blood, then harvested them to re-inject into the patient.

This is not considered a surgical procedure, is easy to implement, and allows for repeated administrations, said Hadyanto Lim, Ph.D., study senior author.

Fifteen patients were first injected with a molecule called granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) once a day for four days.

G-CSF stimulates stem cells to migrate into the bloodstream from the bone marrow where they reside. Stem cells have the ability to transform into different types of cells.

On the fourth day, three hours after the last G-CSF injection, blood was drawn and stem cells were separated from the blood.

Stem cells were identified by the presence of a protein called CD34 on the cells surface.

Thirty minutes after the cell separation procedure finished, the collected stem cells were injected back into the patient through an IV.

Four weeks after receiving the treatment, patients experienced significantly fewer angina-related symptoms, and they were able to exercise at a higher intensity and for a longer period of time.

Most patients also reported mild muscle pains in their backs or legs, but the pain could be managed with acetaminophen.

When lifestyle changes and drug therapies do not control chest pains and discomfort, patients are often recommended for surgical procedures.

This includes coronary angioplasty in which a small mesh tube is inserted in the narrow heart artery to open it up and coronary artery bypass grafting in which healthy blood vessels are used to shunt blood around the narrowed heart arteries.

However, 20 percent to 30 percent of patients with severe coronary atherosclerosis are not suitable for these interventions.

The studys limitations are the small number of patients and absence of a control group. Because no control group was used, the placebo effect cannot be ruled out, Lim noted.

Although this treatment is currently used to treat some cancers multiple myeloma and lymphoma it will need more investigation before it can be made available to the general public to treat angina, according to Lim.

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News source: AHA. The content is edited for length and style purposes. Figure legend: This Knowridge.com image is for illustrative purposes only.

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Having chest pain? Your own stem cells may help with the treatment - Knowridge Science Report

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Stem Cell Therapies for Degenerative Disc Disease - Clinical Pain Advisor (registration)