Azellon makes progress in the development in their wound dressing made up of stem cells
Orange County, CA - January 5th 2017 - Scientists from the Universities of Liverpool and Bristol have recently completed a successful human trial of constructing a bandage from stem cells. The Cell Bandage, developed by the company Azellon, can enhance the current treatment of a common knee injury specified as a meniscal tear. Dubbed “the living bandage,” it enables the tear to heal the breadth of the wound by supporting growth within the marred area.
Meniscus tears can occur when pressure is put on the knee joint, or when it is rotated. Tears located in the white-zone of the meniscus occur 90% of the time and are difficult to treat due to the lack of blood supply in the area. Without blood vessels, the tissue regenerates slowly and could potentially heal incorrectly. Although the patients can have the damaged tissue removed, later in life, there is an increased risk of developing osteoporosis.
The bandage is fashioned from stem cells taken from the patient’s own bone marrow, and then grown in a lab for up to two weeks before being sewn into a membrane scaffold that delivers the cells to the affected area. The bandage is then surgically implanted in the middle of the meniscal tear and sewn into the surrounding cartilage to ensure placement. Those implanted cells go on to communicate with the original cells and work in coordination to migrate to each side, bridging the tear and eliminating the need for further tissue removal.
A trial for the bandage’s prototype was issued to five people with white-zone meniscal tears between the ages of 18 and 45 with encouraging results. All five patients meniscus were intact 12 months post implantation, and by 24 months, three patients had normal knee functionality. The two others required surgical removal of the damaged meniscus after recurrent symptoms developed at 15 months; one from a new tear, the other from the tear only healing partially.
Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Azellon, Professor Anthony Hollander, who is also chair of Stem Cell Biology at the University of Liverpool was roused by the trial results saying, “The Cell Bandage trial results are very encouraging and offer a potential alternative to surgical removal that will repair the damaged tissue and restore full knee function.”The team is already engaging with the functionality of an enhanced version of the Cell Bandage using donated stem cells. This will stop the patient from needing to undergo two surgeries, while also offsetting the cost of the procedure. Healing the tear will be able to mitigate the chances of removal and exposure to additional health risks.
To read the study click here.
