Description:
Overview
Cartilage and fibrocartilage injuries heal poorly. We have developed stable human mesenchymal progenitor cell lines that can be used as an off-the-shelf injectable biologic for accelerating cartilage and fibrocartilage repair.
Market Opportunity
Currently, injuries in cartilage and meniscal fibrocartilage tissues are very common. Intra articular joint injection of cartilage progenitor cells has been shown to stimulate healing in animal models of meniscus and cartilage injury. Because these cells are quite rare in the human body, we have developed stable human cartilage progenitor cell lines that can be expanded in culture and injected into the joint to circumvent the issue of low bioavailability.
Innovation and Meaningful Advantages
We have developed several cartilage progenitor cell lines that can be utilized for cartilage and fibrocartilage tissue repair. The cells have been stabilized to prevent replicative senescence, hence they can be used off-the-shelf with no additional preparation and/or expansion. The cells exhibit high type II collagen, in integral component of cartilage and inner meniscal fibrocartilage that is responsible for its ability to bear loads.
Collaboration Opportunity
We are interested in exploring 1) startup opportunities with investors; 2) collaborations with leading medical research companies to finance a clinical trial; and 3) licensing opportunities with companies.
Principal Investigator
Qian Chen Ph.D
Professor of Orthopaedic Research and Medical Science
Director, NIH Center of Biomedical Research Excellence in Skeletal Health and Repair
Vice Chairman for Research, Department of Orthopaedics
IP Information
US patent 11,685,898 Issued 6/27/2023