Description:
Cellulose derived composition for soft tissue repair applications
NJIT Case No. 16-028, 09-060, 10-060, 18-007 and 18-008
Inventors: Treena Arinzeh, George Collins, Bruno Mantilla (16-028, 09-060), Roseline Menezes (18-007, 18-008) Gloria Portocarrero Huang (18-007) and Sharareh Hashemi (18-008)
Intellectual Property & Development status:
16-028, 18-007 and 18-008 - Patent protection is pending.
10-060 – Patent issued. https://www.google.com/patents/US9180166
09-060 – Patent issued. https://www.google.com/patents/US9192655
NJIT is currently seeking commercial partners for the further development and commercialization of this opportunity.
Technology Brief:
Researchers at New Jersey Institute of Technology in the Department of Biomedical Engineering have invented a unique cellulose-derived renewable, biodegradable composition in either a hydrogel or fibrous form for soft tissue repair applications. The cellulose sulfate composition in hydrogel and fiber form has favorable morphological and chemical features to promote wound healing, nerve regeneration and skin and cartilage repair. In contrast to current approach of removing the scar tissue, which consists of glycosaminogylans (GAGs), the invention uses GAG mimetics to enhance spinal cord repair.
The general approach to the use of tissue engineering in the repair and/or regeneration of tissue is to combine cells and/or biological factors with a biomaterial that acts as a scaffold for tissue development. The cells should be capable of propagating on the scaffold and acquiring the requisite organization and function to produce a properly functioning tissue. Tissue engineered hydrogel or fiber scaffolds mimicking the native extracellular matrix (ECM) is a promising strategy to promote axonal growth. Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) can either inhibit or promote axonal growth depending upon the degree and pattern of sulfation. The invention is cellulose-derived tissue engineered glycosaminoglycan (GAG) hydrogel or fiber scaffolds that mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM) of articular cartilage and can be tailored to have varying degree and pattern of sulfation similar to native GAG. These scaffolds serve as an artificial nerve conduit and a combination of SCs with such scaffolds effectively promote and direct axonal growth to treat spinal cord injuries. Further, the addition of growth factor to the hydrogel or fibrous scaffolds containing Sulfated Cellulose enhances chondrogenesis, angiogenesis and other additional features, which allow enhanced wound healing, skin and cartilage repair.
Advantages
• Cost effective
• Mimics the natural environment
• Biodegradable
• Tailored to the requirement
Applications
• Peripheral nerve repair
• Spinal cord repair
• Osteoarthritis
• Wound healing
• Cartilage defects
• Skin lesions
Inventors Bio:
Treena Arinzeh, professor of biomedical engineering at NJIT, has earned national recognition for her commitment to making adult stem cell therapy a future reality. Her research interests are in stem cell tissue engineering and applied biomaterials, with a focus in the development of functional biomaterials that can accelerate repair utilizing stem cells and other cell types. She develops biomaterial strategies for the repair of bone, cartilage and other related musculoskeletal tissues. Her research interests also include nerve tissue regeneration, specifically spinal cord.
In fall 2004, President Bush awarded Arinzeh the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the highest national honor that a young researcher can receive. In 2003, the National Science Foundation also gave Arinzeh its highest honor--a Faculty Early Career Development award that included a $400,000 research grant. Arinzeh’s most cited work to date, in a paper in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, demonstrated that adult stem cells taken from one person could be implanted in another without being rejected. It was among the most significant findings in stem cell research in the past few years.