Milestone as Tissue given go-ahead for wound trial

The York-based company is in the process of commercialising its dCELL technology platform.

Its patented decellularisation (or dCELL) process removes cells from human and animal tissue, leaving a scaffold which can be inserted into the body and repopulated with new cells.

Products already being developed using the dCELL process include vascular patches to repair damaged blood vessels, replacement knee tissue and parts for heart surgery.

The company said the new trial marks an important milestone in its plans to target the global market for chronic and acute wound care, which research firm Kalorama estimates could be worth around £13.7bn by 2015.

It said that finding more effective ways to treat acute wounds would save the NHS significant sums of money, improve patient recovery times and promote more successful healing.

Acute wounds include surgical incisions and traumatic injuries such as lacerations, abrasions, avulsions, penetrations, bites or burn injuries.

The clinical study will be conducted by University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust and will involve a series of six-week trials on 50 healthy human patients to investigate the responsiveness of acute wounds to Tissue Regenix’s dCELL dermis matrix.

The research will clarify whether dCELL dermis improves the closure of acute wounds compared to “normal” wound healing and other options.

Dr Ardeshir Bayat, clinician scientist based at the University of Manchester, will lead the study.

Tissue Regenix’s managing director Antony Odell said: “We are delighted that this clinical trial can now proceed.

“Finding more effective ways to treat acute wounds could significantly improve the efficacy and speed of patient recovery times and save the NHS and other healthcare providers’ significant sums of money.”

He said the trial will build on the work already being undertaken in collaboration with Dr Bayat and his team in Manchester on chronic wounds.

Dr Bayat conducted a clinical study which investigated the efficacy of Tissue Regenix dCELL dermis matrix in healing chronic wounds such as venous ulcers.

Tissue Regenix was formed in 2006 when it was spun-out from the University of Leeds. It commercialises academic research from partners around the world.

It recently set up a subsidiary company in the US to target the growing regenerative medicine market.

“The US presents an opportunity to establish our platform dCELL technology in a market potentially worth hundreds of millions of dollars,” said Mr Odell.