The Main Product: Human Placental Alkaline Phosphatase

Purified PLAP can be obtained from the human placenta, however, the yield is too low. Instead, the recombinant form, expressed in and purified from tobacco leaves, will be used for the planned phase 1 human clinical trials, and later in the clinical practice. Besides being non-toxic, its thermal stability, long half-life time in the circulation (7-10 days), and effectiveness makes it an excellent candidate for clinical use.

Our research indicates that PLAP will protect the skeletal muscle and the bone marrow in cachectic cancer patients mainly via increasing viability of the corresponding stem cell populations that give rise to the differentiated cells. At the same time, PLAP has inhibitory effects on tumor growth exploiting a tumor specific mechanism. Based on these properties, we investigate if PLAP may be safely used for other human conditions as well requiring protection and regeneration of damaged tissues.