NextCell has conducted preclinical development based on a selection algorithm specifically designed for applications in the central nervous system (CNS). This work forms the basis for a pending patent application regarding the use of ProTrans in the treatment of CNS and neurodegenerative diseases and expands on NextCell's pre-existing preclinical and clinical data in different diseases including type 1 diabetes and viral induced pneumonia. The specific indication(s) under evaluation for application of the CNS tailored drug product have not yet been disclosed.

In a Phase 2a randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled study published in Nature Medicine (Rash et al., 2025), a total of 49 patients with mild Alzheimer's disease were enrolled and treated with a single or repeated intravenous dose of the MSC product laromestrocel (Lomecel-B®). The treatment led to improved cognitive symptoms, reduced neuroinflammation, and slower brain atrophy, with no reported serious adverse events. The study appeared in Nature Medicine, one of the world's most prestigious medical journals, further underscoring its scientific importance. Lomecel-B, like ProTrans, is an allogeneic cell therapy product; however, it is derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). ProTrans represents a next-generation MSC therapy, developed using highly selected cells sourced from umbilical cord tissue.

"The study clearly demonstrates the potential of cell-based therapies in neurodegenerative diseases and is highly relevant to NextCell's development of ProTrans. It confirms both the safety and the immunomodulatory effects of MSCs as intravenous delivered drug products and their potential as a platform-based drug product," says Mathias Svahn, CEO of NextCell.