Injury breakthrough hope with spin-out

FUSION IP has launched a new spin-out company which it claims could "revolutionise" treatment of acute knee injuries.

Sheffield-based Fusion, which turns university research into business, said it has launched Progenteq to capitalise on innovative research from Cardiff University.

Progenteq, which was founded on the work of Cardiff University's School of Biosciences, is developing a novel cartilage replacement therapy. Fusion has long-term exclusive agreements with Cardiff and Sheffield universities to commercialise their research.

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Progenteq is based on the work of Professor Charlie Archer, who leads the university's Connective Tissue Biology Group, and is recognised as a leader in the field of tissue engineering and research.

The group has isolated cells from the articular cartilage which surround the main bones in the knee joint. Fusion said these cells have stem-cell like properties and under laboratory conditions could be expanded to produce very large quantities of cartilage, a flexible connective tissue.

Fusion believes the new cell type could provide an ideal and cost-effective source of material for allogeneic cartilage replacement therapy.

This approach would see cells derived from donors used to grow a large tissue bank of cartilage that can be stored and inserted into patients with acute knee injuries.

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The group added the successful development of a cartilage cell bank could also pave the way for treatment of degenerative cartilage damage, such as that seen in osteoarthritis.

Fusion chief executive David Baynes said: "Cardiff University continues to produce world class IP.

"Although this is an early stage project, an allogeneic approach has been described as 'the holy grail' of cartilage repair.

"We believe that Professor Archer's discovery may be the key and as such it has the potential to revolutionise the way we treat acute knee injuries."

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