Scaffolds in Tissue Engineering
This article was originally published in Start Up
Executive Summary
Stem-cell-related strategies may predominate these days in tissue engineering, but cell therapy companies know that providing the right microenvironment for nurturing tissue growth remains a difficult and essential challenge. Thus, start-ups remain committed to the developent of cellular matrices that provide the appropriate structure, environment, and bioactivity to encourage tissue growth. The four start-ups profiled in this issue represent a cross-section of strategies.
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Tissue Repair Start-Ups Fill Orthopedics' Gaps
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Tissue Regenix Ltd.
Tissue Regenix is developing what it describes as "de-cellularized biological scaffolds," which are meant to function like native tissue. Tissue Regenix uses tissue taken from pigs or cows as its starting material, then carefully strips out cells, leaving behind a complex matrix of proteins such as collagen and elastin. Once this matrix is implanted, the body's own cells go into it and encourage cell recruitment and tissue formation.