Founder, CEO & President -  BonUs BioGroup
shaime@bonus-bio.com

2008   -    present Founder, CEO & President -  BonUs BioGroup, Haifa, Israel
Bonus BioGroup (TASE: BONS) is a product-focused biotechnology company applying proprietary, pioneer technology for supplying bone regeneration tissues.
Bonus BioGroup is a pioneer at developing cell therapy products based on autologous and allogeneic bone implants that will enable efficient bone transplant and provide cellular-based bone replacement prosthetics for repairing bone lesions.
Bonus BioGroup is targeting multi billion worldwide market for the treatment of major disorders such as bone and cartilage related arthritis, and various types of bones and joint trauma (hip fractures, knee injuries, etc). This market experiences over 2 million bone graft procedures annually.
Bonus BioGroup technology provides a breakthrough solution to the key biological problems that has hindered the wider use of bone grafts, and gives Bonus BioGroup its leading competitive edge.
Bonus BioGroup products shall replace today's autologous bone grafting procedure. Autologous bone grafting is the current gold standard in the bone reconstitution field accounting for up to 50% of all bone reconstructions performed. However, the current procedure has severe major handicaps: in many cases the amount of autologous bone needed for the bone graft is not available for effective treatments; the existing procedure incurs donor morbidity and reduced graft strength and is associated with chronic pain, discomfort, and mobility problems.
Bonus BioGroup developed a unique method to grow unique 3-D high-density bone graft based on multi-cells cultures, allowing the bone graft to be accepted by the patents better and faster in comparison to any other alternative.  Cultured from the patient's own cells, this bone regenerative methodology is a powerful tool for treating a variety of bone and joints diseases without running the risk of tissue rejections and surgery failures. In addition, the technology developed by Bonus BioGroup scientific team, make it possible to produce the matched bone tissue in the precise pre-designed needed architecture. This leads to bone transplant available on demand, fits like a tailored suit, safer, less expensive, and therefore provides a better outcome than by any other solution available to date.                
Bonus BioGroup products is based on the state of the art bioreactors technologies, on cells expansion and differentiation methodology and on know how developed by the company scientific team, allowing it to grow match high-density bone graft on demand and on the needed shape for regenerative medicine.
Bonus BioGroup novel and patented technology will provides the patient-with tailored solutions by developing individually personalized cell therapy products based on cultured autologous and allogeneic bone implants. Such implants will enable efficient bone transplants and will provide cellular based bone replacement prosthetics for repairing bone lesions. Cultured from the patient's own cells, this bone regenerative methodology is a powerful tool for treating a variety of bone and joints diseases without running the risk of tissue rejections and surgery failures.

2012 -    present  Chairman BIOLOGICAL INDUSTRIES (BI)    
BIOLOGICAL INDUSTRIES (BI) develops, manufactures and supplies life science products to universities, government research and healthcare institutions and to the biopharmaceutical industry. With an in-house R&D Department and 30 years of experience, as well as through know-how collaborations with academic researchers, BI have introduced a series of serum-free media and many other products for animal tissue culture and molecular biology. In  recent years, BI has developed NutriStem® - a serum-free, xeno-free gold standard product line advancing the fields of stem cell-based therapies.
BI distributes its products in over 40 countries worldwide, and exclusively represents in Israel many world-leading international companies. The company is committed to a Culture of Excellence through high quality, cost-effective and innovative products and services, tailored to the customer's specific needs.

2010- present Founder & Partner - Biogain, Haifa, Israel
Biogain is a holding company focused on Bio-Tech spin-offs companies. Biogain has holdings in five companies focusing in the Healthcare, CleanTech and Biotech Industry.
All Biogain’s portfolio companies have a span out IP and know-how. The portfolio companies have proven core-technology and are all in advances development stage. The new applications and markets chosen by Biogain take advantage of the already proven core technology thus significantly reduce the technological risk and time to market.
Biogain's high quality portfolio is diversified and well-balanced and offer strong future growth potential in all biotech sectors.
2007-2011 Founder and CEO - Polyol biotech, Haifa, Israel
Polyol biotech is a biotech company developing Cosmetic composition based on natural fatty polyols and their acetyl derivatives.
The company has developed physical-chemical separation proprocedure of natural compounds from avocado seed extracts and using those unique compoundes for the creation of cosmetic application for skin chemoprevention against photoaging and UV- associated cancer.
Chemoprevention represents a relatively new and promising strategy whereby the use of natural or synthetic agents the process of photoaging  and carcinogenesis can be slowed, reversed or completely halted. Developing novel strategies to prevent UV associated skin disorders represents a desirable goal due to increasing rise in incidence of skin aging and cancer patients throughout the world.  
Polyol’s product is used in the form of crem or emulsion for the topical application to the sun exposed skin area. The polyols as active ingredients have demonstrat its ability to minimize the negative effect of solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation by phospholipase A2 inhibiting and  abolishing  radiation-mediated arachidonate production, as well as the subsequent undesired synthesis of inflammatory mediaters.

2002-2008 Founder, CTO and CEO - Pluristem Life System, MATAM Advanced Technology Park, Haifa, Israel

Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: PSTI; DAX: PJT) is a bio-therapeutics company dedicated to the commercialization of allogeneic (non-personalized) cell therapy products for the treatment of a variety of severe degenerative, ischemic and autoimmune disorders where current therapies are unavailable or inadequate.
PLX-PAD, Pluristem’s first product, targets an annual $4 billion market and is intended to treat patients suffering from the critical stage of peripheral artery disease (PAD), manifesting as limb ischemia. PAD affects millions of patients whose symptoms stem from a decrease in blood supply primarily to the lower extremities. PAD is aggravated by conditions such as atherosclerosis, diabetes and smoking. PLX-PAD targets those patients where traditional medical and surgical therapies have not helped and are potentially facing continued symptoms or amputation. In animal studies PLX-PAD has shown to significantly increase the number of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) and blood flow in the involved extremity. Pluristem plans for human studies to begin in early 2009.  
PLX-BMT Pluristem’s second product, targets an annual $2 billion market and is intended to resolve the global shortfall of matched hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) for bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Approximately 60% of the 150,000 patients diagnosed annually with leukemia and other hematological malignancies are unable to find a suitable bone marrow donor match and are left with no reasonable therapeutic alternatives. In animals PLX-BMT, combined with the HSCs found in umbilical cord blood (UCB), has been shown to significantly increase the engraftment of these HSCs in bone marrow. Therefore, Pluristem believes it has potentially found an alternative to bone marrow transplantation by using UCB with PLX-BMT, an off-the-shelf product that requires no matching. Pluristem expects human trials to begin in early 2009.
Pluristem’s pipeline of products begins as adherent stromal cells (ASCs) that are derived from the human placenta, an organ that has traditionally been considered medical waste after childbirth and a non-embryonic, non-controversial source of cells.  Pluristem’s placental-derived ASCs are then grown in a unique and proprietary three-dimensional (3D) microenvironment, termed the Pluristem PluriX™
3D bioreactor, without the addition of growth factors or other adulterants. The ASCs derived from this process are called PLacental eXpanded or PLX cells. Pluristem believes these cells' efficacy may be related to the secretion of cytokines or other potent immune modulators. Furthermore, these PLX cells are immune-privileged and possess immunomodulatory properties, thus protecting the recipient from immunological reactions that often accompany transplantations. The PLX cells are stored “ready to use” with no histocompatibility matching required.
Pluristem is an American public company the Company has an office in Colorado with headquarters housing its research and development and FDA good manufacturing practices (GMP)-approved facilities in Haifa, Israel.
2001-2003 VP Biological and chemical R&D, Polyheal Ltd. Nesher, Israel.
Polyheal is a biotech company pioneering a revolutionary approach by filling an unmet need in the wound management market with a general stimulator of granulation, a major step in the healing process of chronic and acute wounds. Polyheal is committed to implement its unique proprietary scientific microsphere-based technology to develop, manufacture & commercialize advanced wound healing products for chronic skin ulcers, burns, trauma and post-surgery wounds.
Polyheals wound healing concept has shown high rate of complete healing or wound improvement for skin graft among a wide range of chronic wounds which were non-curable by conventional treatments. The products are easily applied by caretaker or patient and reduce remarkably hospitalization period and treatment cost.

1997-2001    Instructor - medical students Cell Biology
Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Haifa, Israel.

1997-2001          Instructor - medical students Hematology
Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Haifa, Israel.

1995-1996    The Department of Chemical Engineering   
Technion, Haifa, Israel.
Education
1999-2002    Ph.D. in Biotechnology
Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel. In coperation with the Weizmann Institute of Science
The research was performed at the Haemopoiesis Unit, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, under the supervision of Dr. Avinoam Kaduri & Prof. Dov Zipory from the Weizman Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel and Dr. Shosh Merchav from the Technion.
Ph.D. Project: “Stationary packed bed bioreactor for propagation of transplantable human haemopoietic stem cells”.  
The IP developed within Dr Meretzki Ph.D. was used for the establishment of Pluristem Life System.
1996-1999    M.Sc. The Interdepartmental Program in Biotechnology
Technion, Haifa, Israel.
1992-1996    B.sc. The Department of Chemical Engineering
Technion, Haifa, Israel.
1992-1996    B.sc. The Department of Biology
Technion, Haifa, Israel
1981-1987    High School - The Hebrew Reali School, Haifa, Israel
Patents:

• Shai MERETZKI, Uriel BARKAI, and Samer SROUJI “BONE-LIKE PROSTHETIC IMPLANTS”.
• Shai MERETZKI, Gennady ROSENBLAT, and Joseph SEGAL ”COSMETIC COMPOSITIONS COMPRISING POLYHYDROXYLTATE FATTY ALCOHOL DERIVATIVES ISOLATED FROM AVOCADO SEEDS AND USES THEREOF”.
• Shai MERETZKI, Gennady ROSENBLAT, and Joseph SEGAL “THERAPEUTIC COMPOSITIONS COMPRISING POLYHYDROXYLTATE FATTY ALCOHOL DERIVATIVES AND USES THEREOF”
• Meretzki Shai,  Merchav Shoshana,  “METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAINTENANCE AND EXPANSION OF HEMOPOIETIC STEM CELLS AND/OR PROGENITOR CELLS”. Publication no: WO 00/46349, PCT/US00/02688.
• Meretzki Shai and Barkai Uriel  “Title:    A COMPREHENSIVE HEMATOPOIESIS RECONSTITUTING SYSTEM INCLUDING EX-VIVO EXPANSION OF HEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELLS AND TRANSPLANTATION METHODS”.  
• Meretzki Shai  et al, “METHODS FOR CELL EXPANSION AND USES OF CELLS AND CONDITIONED MEDIA PRODUCED THEREBY FOR THERAPY”
• SHAI MERETZKI, “USE OF MONONUCLEAR CELLS FROM HEMATOPOIETIC TISSUES FOR EXPANSION OF HEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELLS”
• Shai MERETZKI and Zami ABERMAN, “THE USE OF HUMAN ENGINEERED MESENCHYMAL CELLS (EMS) EXPENDED EX VIVO WITHIN 3-D CULTURES CONDITION, FOR IMPROVING HEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELLS (HSC) ENGRAFTMENT”.
• Meretzki Shai  et al, “A THREE DIMENSIONAL STROMAL CELL PLUG FLOW BIOREACTOR FOR MAINTENANCE/EXPANSION OF TRANSPLANTABLE HUMAN HAEMOPOIETIC STEM CELLS”
• Meretzki Shai  et al, “METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAINTENANCE AND EXPANSION OF HEMOPOIETIC STEM CELLS AND/OR PROGENITOR CELLS”.
• Meretzki Shai  et al, “METHOD OF PRODUCING UNDIFFERENTIATED HEMOPOIETIC STEM CELLS USING A STATIONARY PHASE PLUG-FLOW BIOREACTOR”
• Meretzki Shai  et al, “METHOD FOR MAINTENANCE AND EXPANSION OF UMBILICAL CORD DERIVED STEM CELLS AND FOR THE INITIAL DIFFERENTIATION OFTHESE CELLS INTO CARDYOMYOCYTES”.
• Meretzki Shai  et al, “CONSTRUCTING EFFICIENT BONE-LIKE PROSTHETICS IMPLANTS USING COMBINATIONS OF HEMATOPOIETIC AND/OR VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL CELLS AND/OR MESENCHYMAL STEM CELLS ON 3-D SCAFFOLDS”
• Meretzki Shai  et al, “THREE DIMENSIONAL SCAFFOLDS FOR EX-VIVO EXPANSION OF STEM CELLS AND THEIR TRANSPLANTION”.

Publications:

• Meretzki S. et al  "Polyhydroxylated fatty alcohols derived from avocado suppress inXammatory response and provide non-sunscreen protection against UV-induced damage in skin cells" Arch Dermatol Res 2010
• Meretzki S. et al. "Expansions of cord blood (CB) derived unseparated hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) co-cultured with mesenchymal cells growing in three dimensional (3-D) mode"  International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT) 2007  Sydney Australia.
• Meretzki S. et al. "Promotion of CD34+ cells engraftment using mesenchymal stromal cells expanded ex vivo in bioreactor containing high-density 3-D culture." International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT) 2007  Sydney Australia.
• Meretzki S. et al.  “The efficacy of the PluriX in expanding non-selected MNC” American Society of Hematology 2007, Orlando, Florida.
• Meretzki S, Borger O “Pluristem's breakthrough solution PLX-BMT stem cell product, could replace the traditional bone marrow transplantnternational” Society for Experimental Hematology 2006, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
• Meretzki S. et al. “Superiority of 3-D Stromal Cell Structure for the Proliferation of Transplantable Hematopoietic Stem Cells “ International Society for Experimental Hematology (ISEH) New Orleans, 2004.
• Meretzki S. et al. “superiority of three-dimensional (3-D) cultures over the conventional two-dimensional (2-D) cultures presently used in most stem cell expansion research”  The International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT) 2004. Dublin, Ireland.
• Meretzki S, Kadouri A, Merchav S. (2001). “Effect of Three Dimensional Stromal Cell Cultures on the Expansion of Transplantable Human Hematopoietic Stem Cells.” ISHAGE 2001:41 (Abs).
• Meretzki S, Kadouri A, Zipori D, Merchav S. (1998). “Maintenance and Expansion of Human Cord Blood Primitive Progenitor on Murine Stromal Cell Line.”  Acta Hematologica 100:20 .

Scholarship and grants

• 2009        Merage Foundation, Leadership Program for Life Sciences Executives, Spring 2009
• 2005-2013    Israeli chief scientist
• 2004-2005    magneton: Technion & Israeli chief scientist
• 1996-2002        Technion Scholarship
• 2001        Gutwirth Scholarship
• 2001    Scholarship for 2001 ISAGE International Society for Hematotherapy and Graft Engineering,  Quebec, Canada  
• 1998     Gutwirth Scholarship
• 1998    Technion Scholarship for Molecular Biology of Hematopoiesis Convention, Bormeo, Italy