Plureon’s platform technology is a pluripotent stem cell which can be isolated harmlessly at birth from placental tissue which is otherwise usually discarded as medical waste.

These stem cells, referred to as AFS cells in the scientific literature, have been differentiated into cells of all three germ layers, including bone, skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle, liver, nerve, fat, and pancreatic cells.

AFS cells have also demonstrated efficacy in several disease models.

A key feature of AFS cells is their proliferative potential. AFS populations double approximately every 36 hours. They are stable in culture; their key properties do not change even after hundreds of population doublings. This proliferative quality is crucial in the development of therapeutic applications, where billions of cells may be needed for a single tissue reconstruction or cell therapy application.

Unlike human embryonic stem (“hES”) cells which form teratomas when implanted in vivo, AFS cells are not cancer-forming. Also, AFS cells are obtained without harm to an embryo or fetus.

AFS cells have a potentially wide range of therapeutic application. Plureon is pursuing these both internally and in conjunction with corporate partners.

Plureon's technology made headlines around the world when it debuted on the cover of the prestigious journal Nature Biotechnology in January 2007. The story was carried on all major primetime US news programs and received prominent coverage in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and other publications around the globe.

In addition, the discovery was praised by the White House in a statement by Press Secretary Tony Snow. The Vatican also issued a statement praising the finding.

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